About 77.21% of the 73,44,631 voters across 39 Assembly constituencies in Assam turned out to vote in the second phase on Thursday. These seats are in southern Assam’s Barak Valley, central and parts of northern Assam.
Election officials said the voting was peaceful and there were reports of a few EVMs malfunctioning before they were either repaired or replaced.
Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP’s chief poll strategist, exuded confidence about the party and its allies winning most of the seats.
The focus in the second phase was on the Bengali-dominated Barak Valley and the three tribal hill districts of central Assam. Together, they account for 20 of the 39 seats.
The BJP and ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had won 24 of the seats — one was added later after a Congress MLA quit to contest the seat on a BJP ticket — in the 2016 polls.
The BJP and the AGP had won 12 of the other 19 seats that went to the polls on Thursday.
The key contestants for the BJP are Rajya Sabha member Biswajit Daimary for the Panery seat, Ministers Parimal Suklabaidya (Dholai), Pijush Hazarika (Jagiroad) and Bhabesh Kalita (Rangia), Deputy Assembly Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar (Sonai) and former Congress Minister Gautam Roy (Katigorah).
The main candidates for the Congress-led Mahajot or grand alliance are former Minister Sum Ronghang (Diphu), who quit the BJP after being denied ticket, and Sirajuddin Ajmal (Jamunamukh), brother of All India United Democratic Front president Badruddin Ajmal.
The first phase for 47 seats on March 27 recorded a turnout of 79.97%. The third and last phase for 40 seats will be held on April 6.
