Poll-related violence claimed two lives in Assam on Saturday, as the State braces itself for the crucial and final phase of polling in 64 of the total 126 Assembly constituencies on Monday. This election will decide if the Congress performs a hat-trick or is dethroned by the Opposition alliance.
Security measures have been stepped up in lower and central Assam, where these constituencies are located. The Election Commission has identified 2,033 polling stations as hypersensitive, 4,175 as sensitive and 475 of the total 12,589 stations as vulnerable. Special security measures have been taken in areas along the India-Bhutan border, where the Ranjan Daimary faction of the insurgent National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) is active and ambushed security forces in the run-up to the polls.
Two persons were killed when supporters of the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) turned violent as party president Badruddin Ajmal did not turn up for a rally in Kokrajhar district on the last day of campaigning on Saturday. Mr. Ajmal's chopper could not land due to a technical snag. The mob set ablaze a fire tender and several other vehicles, prompting the police to fire blanks to disperse them. Three mediapersons who were present to cover the rally were also injured in the violence. The mob attacked and demolished an election pandal of the Bodoland People's Front (BPF), triggering tension in the area.
Both the AIUDF and the BPF have high stakes in the 64 constituencies and are trying to emerge as kingmakers. The ruling Congress and the Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) have almost equal stakes in these constituencies, with the Congress having 18 sitting legislators and the AGP, 17.
Prominent among those in the fray are the Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary, AGP working president Phani Bhusan Choudhury, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, Agriculture Minister Pramila Rani Brahma, Transport Minister Chandan Brahma, Public Health Engineering Minister Rihon Daimary, Education Minister Gautom Bora, Revenue Minister Bhumidhar Barman, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Nazrul Islam, and Social Welfare Minister Akon Bora.
