India sways to poll dance 2014

In the first phase, five constituencies in Assam - Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur and Tripura (West) in Tripura - will go to poll. The six are part of the 543 constituencies where polling will take place from 7 April to 12 May. Monday’s balloting will be held in 8,588 centres. An estimated 6.4 million people are eligible to vote. Results of Lok Sabha polls will be announced on 16 May.

According to the Election Commission, 51 candidates are in the fray on Monday in Assam, which will elect the remaining nine Lok Sabha members on 12 April – 3 and finally on 24 April – 6. Polling is expected to start at 7 am and is likely to commence by 5 pm. Campaigning for the constituencies ended at 5 pm on Saturday.

Police and paramilitary forces have stepped up security, more so because April 7 coincides with the raising day of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). ‘There is no specific threat for the election but we cannot take chances,’ said a senior official of Assam Police. He said a total of 240 companies of Assam Police and paramilitary forces had already been deployed in the state.

The Congress is the major force in Assam which it rules while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) is the dominant force in Tripura. But the opposition is aggressive in both states. Ten candidates are in the fray in Jorhat, nine in Tezpur, 13 each in Kaliabor and Lakhimpur and six candidates in Dibrugarh.

Among the prominent candidates in Assam are lottery baron Mani Kumar Subba, chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s son Gourav Gogoi, outgoing Congress MP Bijoy Krishna Handique, veteran communist Drupad Borgohain, BJP state president Sarbananda Sonowal, union minister of state for tribal affairs Ranee Narah, Mamud Imdadul Haque Choudhury of The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, Rameswar Teli of the BJP and Anoop Phukan of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). The West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency goes to the polls Monday. 

Election in the Tripura East constituency will be held April 12. In the second and third phase on 9 and 10 April, a total of 93 constituencies spread across 18 states will go to polls. On 9th , seven constituencies in five states and on 10 April, 86 constituencies in 13 states - including Delhi which has seven seats- will elect members to lower house of Parliament.

The total electorate in the country as per final published E-rolls with 1 January, 2014 as the cut-off date is about 81.45 crore compared to 71.3 crore in 2009, an increase of more than 10 crore electors.