Assam Panchayat Polls: Symbol Snafu Freezes Voting in Sribhumi

The highly anticipated first phase of Assam’s panchayat elections was marred by controversy within hours of commencement, as voting was abruptly suspended at a polling station in Ward No. 7 of the Medal Sharif Nagar Gaon Panchayat, located in the newly created Sribhumi district under the South Karimganj constituency.

The disruption stemmed from a glaring error on the ballot paper that misrepresented the official election symbol of a contesting candidate. Jaheda Begam Nurani, who is vying for the ward member seat, was stunned to discover that her designated symbol, "Cup and Plate," had been erroneously replaced with "Auto Rickshaw" on the printed ballots.

Election officials, upon receiving complaints, ordered an immediate halt to polling at the centre. Authorities are reportedly investigating the matter, though no official statement has been issued regarding how the mix-up occurred or whether re-polling will be held.

The incident has cast a shadow over the opening day of the rural elections, which are seen as a litmus test ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly polls. With over 50,000 panchayat seats at stake, the stakes are high and tensions palpable.

Voting in this first phase spans 14 districts, including Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Majuli, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Cachar, Hailakandi, and Sribhumi.