Assam recorded a high turnout on Monday with the final poll percentage of the second phase of polling in 64 Assembly constituencies being estimated at 78.60.
Minority-dominated Mancahar Assembly constituency in lower Assam's Dhubri district recorded the highest turnout of 90.50 per cent. Other minority-dominated constituencies also recorded a high turnout between 81 and 86 per cent, while the Bodo and Rabha-dominated constituencies followed with between 77 and 85 per cent of voters turning up. The Gauhati (East) constituency in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district — the lone, entirely urban constituency comprising areas in the heart of Guwahati — recorded the lowest turnout of 56.34 per cent.
The overall poll percentage in all the 126 Assembly constituencies has been estimated at 76.03. In the first phase, the State recorded 73.11 percent polling in 62 assembly constituencies. The overall poll percentage in 2006 assembly poll was 75.77.
Releasing the figures here, Chief Electoral Officer Hemanta Narzary told journalists that repoll has been recommended in six polling stations — four in the Rangiya assembly constituency, one each in the Udalguri and Bhabanipur constituencies. Voting in the four polling stations of the Rangiya constituency had to be stopped after the voters turned violent after they alleged they were beaten up by Border Security Force personnel on duty.
Gogoi confident
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi claimed that the ruling Congress would be able to form the government for the third consecutive term on its own but was quick to add that Bododland People's Front would continue as the coalition partner. He claimed that the Congress would get absolute majority. Mr. Gogoi also attributed the high turn of voters to the success of his government to bring back most of the insurgent outfits to the negotiation table and rise in people's expectation and their faith in his government.
Apart from Mancahar other minority dominated constituencies also recorded high turnout of 81 to 86 per cent. Similarly the Bodo and Rabha dominated constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribe also recorded high turnout of 77 to 85 per cent.
