Assam Prepares for Assembly Elections: Final Arrangements Underway
Final Preparations for Assam Assembly Elections
Presiding Officers collecting EVMs and Ballot boxes in Kokrajhar (Photo: AT)
Guwahati/Kokrajhar/Nalbari, April 8: As Assam gears up for voting, election officials across various districts have intensified their final preparations. This includes the distribution of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the deployment of polling staff, and enhancing security measures to ensure a smooth and peaceful election process.
In Kamrup Metro, presiding officers gathered at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre in Guwahati to collect EVMs and other materials needed for polling day.
Across the district's five Assembly constituencies, a total of 1,218 polling stations have been established to accommodate over 10 lakh voters.
This comprises 272 polling stations in Dispur, 262 in Dimoria, 219 in New Guwahati, 218 in Guwahati Central, and 247 in Jalukbari.
Each constituency has been assigned one model polling station, and 120 polling stations will be managed exclusively by female officers.
In Nalbari district, preparations for polling have been finalized across the Nalbari, Tihu, and Barkhetri Assembly constituencies, which have a total of 6,25,613 registered voters.
Nibedan Das Patowary, Chief Electoral Officer and District Commissioner of Nalbari, stated that 825 polling stations have been set up in the district, with 150 identified as sensitive.
“We have established 825 polling stations across the three constituencies in Nalbari district, and over 6,000 service personnel have received training. We have marked 150 polling stations as sensitive,” Patowary explained.
He also mentioned that webcasting facilities have been arranged at all polling stations.
According to Patowary, 46 polling stations will be staffed entirely by women officials, including female police personnel.
“These stations are primarily located in Tihu town, Mukalmua town, and Nalbari town, where even the police officials are women,” he added.
Additionally, 55 polling stations in the district are situated in remote areas, accessible only by boats, walking paths, tractors, or vehicles.
“Even if adverse weather conditions arise, we are fully confident that voters will be able to cast their votes without any incidents of violence or clashes,” he asserted.
He further noted that three model polling stations have been equipped with special facilities, including breastfeeding corners and support from self-help groups.
In Kokrajhar district, 944 polling stations have been established for five Assembly constituencies, where 7,04,225 voters are expected to participate.
Polling personnel collected EVMs and election materials from Kokrajhar Government HS and MP School and Bodoland University before heading to their designated polling stations.
District Commissioner and Election Officer Dr. P Uday Praveen confirmed that the district is fully prepared for a peaceful polling experience.
“We have implemented all necessary measures to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections across all five constituencies in Kokrajhar district,” he stated.
A total of 4,172 polling personnel have been deployed throughout the district, which includes 52 all-women polling stations and five model polling stations.
Security measures have been bolstered with the deployment of 33 companies of Central Armed Police Forces in Kokrajhar.
SSP Kokrajhar Akshat Garg mentioned that approximately 4,000 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and State Armed Police (SAP) are on election duty.
“For the upcoming election day, around 4,000 CAPF and SAP personnel are assigned. Border sealing has been initiated 72 hours prior, and checks have been intensified at inter-state and inter-district crossings as per Election Commission guidelines,” Garg noted.
Dr. Praveen stated that security personnel will be stationed at all 195 sensitive polling stations in the district.
“No untoward incidents have occurred in Kokrajhar district previously, and we do not anticipate any this time either, but we are prepared for any situation,” he said.
He encouraged voters to participate in large numbers, aiming for at least a 90 percent voter turnout in the district.
Polling for the first phase of the Assam Assembly elections is scheduled to commence at 7 am on Thursday and will continue until 5 pm.
Meanwhile, as part of the International Election Visitors Programme (IEVP), twelve foreign delegates from Election Management Bodies of seven countries, along with three representatives from the Election Commission of India, have arrived in Guwahati to observe the electoral process.