Final push before Assam vote: EVM rollout, heavy security across districts

Guwahati/Kokrajhar/Nalbari, April 8: With Assam set to vote, election authorities across districts on Wednesday stepped up final preparations, including distribution of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), deployment of polling personnel, and tightening of security arrangements to ensure smooth and peaceful polling.

In Kamrup Metro, presiding officers from various polling stations assembled at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre in Guwahati to collect EVMs and ballot materials for polling day.

A total of 1,218 polling stations have been set up across the district’s five Assembly constituencies, catering to over 10 lakh voters.

This includes 272 polling stations in Dispur, 262 in Dimoria, 219 in New Guwahati, 218 in Guwahati Central, and 247 in Jalukbari.

One model polling station has been designated in each constituency, while 120 polling stations will be managed entirely by women officers.

In Nalbari district, authorities have completed arrangements for polling across the Nalbari, Tihu, and Barkhetri Assembly constituencies, where a total of 6,25,613 voters are registered.

Chief Electoral Officer and Nalbari District Commissioner Nibedan Das Patowary said 825 polling stations have been set up in the district, including 150 identified as sensitive.

“There are total 825 polling stations across the three constituencies in Nalbari district and over 6,000 service employees have been trained. We have identified 150 sensitive polling stations,” Patowary said.

He added that webcasting arrangements have been put in place across all polling stations.

According to Patowary, 46 polling stations will be operated entirely by women officials, including women police personnel.

“These are mainly set up in Tihu town, Mukalmua town and Nalbari town. Even police officials there are women,” he said.

Patowary further informed that 55 polling stations in the district have been marked as remote locations and are accessible only through boats, walking routes, tractors or vehicles.

“Even if the weather conditions turn bad, we are 100% confident that electors will be able to cast their votes without violence or clashes,” he asserted.

He added that three model polling stations have been established with special facilities including breastfeeding corners and support from self-help groups.

In Kokrajhar district, the administration has set up 944 polling stations for five Assembly constituencies, where 7,04,225 voters are expected to cast their ballots.

Polling personnel on Wednesday collected EVMs and election materials from Kokrajhar Government HS and MP School and Bodoland University before leaving for their respective polling stations.

District Commissioner and District Election Officer Dr P Uday Praveen said the district is fully prepared for peaceful polling.

“We have taken all necessary measures to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in all five constituencies of Kokrajhar district,” he said.

A total of 4,172 polling personnel have been deployed across the district, along with 52 all-women polling stations and five model polling stations.

Security arrangements have also been strengthened with 33 companies of Central Armed Police Forces deployed in Kokrajhar.

SSP Kokrajhar Akshat Garg said around 4,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and State Armed Police (SAP) personnel have been mobilised for election duty.

“For tomorrow’s election day, around 4,000 CAPF and SAP personnel are deployed. Border sealing before 72 hours is underway and checking has been intensified across inter-state and inter-district crossings as per ECI guidelines,” Garg said.

Dr Praveen said security personnel would be stationed at all 195 sensitive polling stations in the district.

“No untoward incident has taken place in Kokrajhar district previously and we are not expecting any this time as well, but we are prepared regardless,” he said.

He urged voters to turn out in large numbers, noting that the administration is targeting at least 90 per cent voter turnout in the district.

Polling for the first phase of the Assam Assembly elections will begin at 7 am on Thursday and continue till 5 pm.

Meanwhile, under the International Election Visitors Programme (IEVP), twelve foreign delegates from Election Management Bodies of seven countries, along with three representatives of the Election Commission of India, arrived in Guwahati to observe the electoral process.