Assam: First phase of Bodo Territorial Council election passes off peacefully; over 75% voting recorded

Guwahati: The much-awaited voting for the 40-member Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) happened on Monday with over 75 per cent voters exercising their franchise within the first section. Till the closing time of 4:30 pm, 75.21 per cent polling happened out of a complete of 13,64,018 voters, who seal the destiny of 130 candidates in poll bins for 21 constituencies unfold throughout Udalguri and Baksa districts.

An official of the Assam State Election Commission (ASEC) mentioned lengthy queues are nonetheless there at a number of of the cubicles out of the full 1,739 polling stations as they entered the compounds earlier than 4:30 pm and the voting proportion is prone to go up additional. “It was complete peaceful voting. There was not a single untoward incident reported from anywhere,” he added.

The voting by way of paper poll is being finished observing COVID-19 protocols by the officers like carrying masks, sustaining social distance contained in the sales space and preserving sanitisers contained in the compound. However, numerous voters had been seen not following the coronavirus security rules by coming to cubicles with out masks and folks huddling in teams.

Even many senior leaders like BJP’s Biswajit Daimary, who lately resigned from Rajya Sabha and shifted aspect from BPF, and a few candidates forged their votes with out carrying masks. A festive look was seen at many locations with roadside retailers and eateries have been arrange, and folks thronged there in massive numbers, thereby giving a toss to COVID-19 protocols.

No curbs for coronavirus had been adopted within the roadside retailers and eateries with voters crowding round them with no masks or observing social distancing. The second section of polling for 19 constituencies will happen on December 10, when 10,23,404 voters will determine the way forward for 111 candidates by exercising their franchise throughout 1,407 polling stations in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.

The counting for each the phases will probably be held on December 12, starting at eight am and can proceed until completion of the method. Out of the full 3,164 polling cubicles, the authorities have marked 606 as very delicate and 1,266 as delicate, and organized tight safety measures in these, an ASEC official mentioned.

A complete of 23,87,422 voters will train their franchise to elect their representatives for the native council, fashioned in 2003 and elections held since 2005. The election to the 40-member BTC was scheduled on April 4, but it surely was postponed indefinitely as a result of outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

Subsequently, the Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi assumed administration of the Council on expiry of its five-year time period on Apr 27, 2020.
Hagrama Mohilary-led ruling Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) is making an attempt laborious to save lots of its 15-year previous BTC authorities, whereas its state ally BJP is pulling all gears to dethrone its associate from the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

The BJP and BPF are contesting individually and each the events had been engaged in bitter marketing campaign with utilization of many unparliamentary phrases by the leaders of the 2 forces. BJP is working its first state authorities in Assam in alliance with the BPF and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

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United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) is one other sturdy outfit aside from BPF and BJP. Its chief Pramod Boro, who joined the occasion from All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), is touted to be a robust contender for the put up of Chief Executive Member, the pinnacle of BTC. Other events like Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), Congress- AIUDF alliance and scores of unbiased candidates are additionally claiming to get voters sympathy and help.