High-decibel Assam poll campaign concludes as state enters 48-hour silence period

Guwahati, April 8: Campaigning for the high-stakes Assam Assembly elections concluded, with political parties making their final push before the 48-hour silence period ahead of the April 9 polling for 126 constituencies.

The curtain fell on a high-decibel campaign at 5 pm, as mandated by the Election Commission, bringing to a halt rallies, roadshows and all forms of canvassing across the State on Tuesday evening.

The last day witnessed an intense flurry of activity, with top leaders across parties addressing back-to-back rallies and sharpening their attacks in a bid to sway undecided voters.

Amit Shah, Mallikarjun Kharge and Smriti Irani were among those who led the final blitzkrieg, underscoring the significance of the contest.

The campaign this time was marked by sharp rhetoric, personal allegations and high-voltage exchanges between the ruling BJP-led NDA and the Opposition alliance, with issues ranging from corruption charges and identity politics to welfare promises dominating the discourse.

With the campaigning now over, the Model Code provisions under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act have come into force, barring any public meetings, processions, or election related content in electronic media during the silence period.

Meanwhile, law-enforcement agencies have ensured adequate deployment of forces in all the polling stations in the State.

Special arrangements have been put in place to check unwarranted entries in the State borders in the next 48 hours.

Moreover, in order to ensure hassle-free distribution of poll-related materials in the districts, a foolproof mechanism has been put in place. The political leaders and party workers, who had come from outside the State, have also been asked to leave before the silence period.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Akhilesh Singh said the law-and-order scenario is being monitored on a consistent basis, and a close eye is being kept on forces that may try to influence the voters in any manner.

The vigil around the districts with international borders has also been intensified in view of the polls, he said.

"We are trying to ensure that all the mandatory provisions of the Election Commission are adhered to till the polling is over. All the check points, be it in the inter-district border or interstate borders, are kept on alert round the clock," Singh said, adding that the flying squads have been asked to verify any suspicious movement.

He further said that the security forces, including the 800 companies of central armed paramilitary forces, have been deployed according to the security plan, and necessary arrangements have been made to ensure smooth polling on April 9.

Singh informed that the compliance percentage of the Election Commission guidelines, including depositing of armed licences, has been almost complete barring those who were granted exemptions in light of special circumstances.

A total of 1,51,132 polling personnel have been deployed for the conduct of the election. For polling purposes, 41,820 ballotting units, 43,975 control units, and 43,997 VVPAT machines have been arranged, including reserves for emergency use. Additional polling personnel have also been kept in readiness, if required.

As many as 722 candidates are in the fray, and a total of 2,50,54,463 electors are eligible to exercise their franchise.

This includes 1,25,31,552 male voters, 1,25,22,593 female voters, and 318 voters in the transgender category. There are also 63,423 service voters.

Among the electorate, 6,42,314 voters are in the age group of 18-19 years, 2,50,006 are above 80 years of age, and 2,05,085 are persons with disabilities.

Further, as per Section 60(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission has provided the optional facility of voting from home through postal ballot for senior citizens above 85 years of age and identified persons with disabilities.

Till date, a total of 26,032 senior citizens (85+) and 8,878 persons with disabilities have exercised their voting rights through postal ballots from home.