Guwahati, Nov 14 (PTI) Nearly 76 per cent of 9.1 lakh electors cast their votes during the bypolls to five assembly constituencies in Assam, according to official data published on Thursday.
According to the Election Commission, an estimated 75.67 per cent of 9,09,057 electors, including 4,54,963 women and 19 belonging to the third gender, exercised their franchise on Wednesday to decide the fate of 34 candidates.
There were also 2,617 service voters in these five constituencies, where polling took place according to pre-delimitation data, an official said.
Bypolls were held in Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali and Samaguri assembly constituencies, following vacancies created by the elected representatives’ success in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Samaguri recorded the highest turnout of 79.55 per cent, followed by Bongaigaon (77.89 per cent), Behali (75.79 per cent), Sidli (75.47 per cent) and Dholai (70.31 per cent), EC data showed.
There were reports of sporadic incidents of violence from different places of Samaguri and Behali while voting was underway.
Around 9,000 polling personnel were deployed across 1,078 polling stations in the five seats.
Webcasting was done from 592 polling stations, while 11 booths were made as model polling stations and 14 were managed by all-women staff.
A total of 15 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), comprising about 1,500 personnel, were deployed in all the polling stations, supported by Assam Police.
Out of these five seats, only one was with the Congress, while the remaining four were represented by the BJP-led alliance.
Presently, the ruling BJP’s strength in the 126-member Assam Assembly is 61, while its allies AGP has eight MLAs and UPPL has six.
In the opposition camp, the Congress’ strength is 26, AIUDF has 15 members, BPF has three and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is one Independent legislator. PTI TR TR MNB
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