Polling underway in Sivasagar for Panchayat elections, 2291 candidates in fray

Sivasagar, May 2: The first phase of the Assam Panchayat Elections witnessed vibrant voter participation in Sivasagar district today, where polling was held along with 14 other districts across the state. The electoral fate of 2,291 candidates was placed in the hands of 5,01,151 registered voters in the district.

Polling started at 7:30 am at 858 polling stations and is scheduled to continue until 4:30 pm. The weather remained clear, contributing to a smooth and hassle-free voting process. Voters began arriving early in the morning, and long queues were observed in many locations, reflecting a strong turnout and enthusiastic civic engagement.

The elections in Sivasagar district are being conducted across 820 wards of five regional panchayats, 12 zila parishads, and 82 village panchayats. Among the 2,291 candidates contesting, 216 are vying for regional panchayat positions, 37 for zila parishads, and 2,038 for gram panchayat memberships. Additionally, 15 candidates have been elected unopposed in the district, highlighting pockets of consensus or lack of opposition.

Of the 5,01,151 eligible voters, 2,48,257 are male, 2,52,891 female, and three belong to the third gender. Authorities confirmed that all polling stations were adequately manned with necessary security arrangements to ensure free and fair elections.

Overall, the polling process is going peaceful, with no major disturbances reported so far. The first phase in Sivasagar is being seen as a crucial test of local governance and democratic participation at the grassroots level.