In order to enforce the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the second phase of polling in Assam, the State Election Commission on Tuesday stressed on halting all forms of political campaigning 48 hours prior to the day of voting.
Voting in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections are set to be held across five constituencies of Assam on April 26. As such, the State Election Commssion, Assam in a special announcement informed that campaigning activities will stop from 5 pm of April 24 onwards.
Political parties will not be allowed to organise any kind of meetings or mass gatherings from the stipulated time onwards. Apart from that, they will also not be allowed to host any kind of cultural events.
Furthermore, use of any kind of mass media for election campaigning will also be prohibited from 5 pm on April 24.
It may be noted that parliamentary constituencies of Karimganj, Silchar, Mangaldoi, Nawgong, and Kaliabor will head to polls in the second phase.
Earlier, the sale of alcohol in these constituencies was also prohibited from April 24 onwards. According to reports, the restriction on sale of alcohol will be enforced from 5 pm of April 24 and will be in place till the end of polling in the evening of April 26.
This is the first elections in Assam post the recent delimitation exercise, with significant changes in electoral boundaries. The BJP, aiming to bolster its position, has set an ambitious target of clinching 12 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats, up from the nine won in 2019.
Key contenders are in the fray in the second phase of polling with Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi facing off against BJP's Suresh Bora and AIUDF’s Aminul Islam in Nagaon. Meanwhile, BJP's Dilip Saikia will square up against Congress' Madhab Rajbongshi in Darrang-Udalguri. In Karimganj, BJP's Kripanath Mallah will contest against Congress' Hafez Ahmed Choudhury and AIUDF's Sahabul Islam Choudhury.
In Silchar (SC) Assam Excise Minister Parimal Suklabaidya of BJP will take on Congress youth leader Surjya Kanta Sarkar.
Assam witnessed a robust voter turnout of 75.95% in the first phase of polls covering Kaziranga, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, and Lakhimpur constituencies.
