Assam records 70% turnout in final round

Lily

B.R
Staff member
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Guwahati: Voting ended on Monday in Assam's second and final phase of elections in 64 of 126 assembly seats, with 70.35 per cent polling recorded, officials said.

At the end of the exercise, both the ruling Congress and the opposition exuded confidence of forming the next government.

"The final polling percentage could be high as we are still compiling figures from remote areas. In about 15 per cent of polling stations, voting went on well past 3pm as the voters had lined up before the closure time," the official said.

"We are confident of coming back to power for the third straight term as people voted us for good governance, stability and peace," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.

Repolling

The opposition too was optimistic. "We are confident of winning the polls," said Chandra Mohan Patowary, president of Assam's main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

Repolling was ordered in five polling stations. A total of 496 candidates were in the fray on Monday.

The first phase of polling involved 485 candidates and it saw an estimated 73 per cent polling for 62 assembly seats.

Results will be declared on May 13. Although no one has emerged as a frontrunner, the Congress is seen as having an edge because of disunity in opposition ranks.

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