Assam Panchayat Elections Announced: Key Dates and Details

The Assam State Election Commission has scheduled Panchayat elections across 27 districts in two phases, on May 2 and May 7. Over 1.80 crore voters will participate. Nomination begins April 3, with results announced on May 11. Candidates must meet educational and family criteria to qualify.

The Assam State Election Commission has officially announced the schedule for the upcoming Panchayat elections, set to take place in two phases across 27 districts. According to State Election Commissioner Alok Kumar, the first phase of voting will occur on May 2 for 14 districts, followed by the second phase on May 7 for the remaining 13 districts. The counting of votes is slated for May 11.

Approximately 1.80 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in 25,007 polling stations statewide. Of these, 90.71 lakh are male voters, 89.65 lakh are female voters, and 408 are categorized as other voters. While there will be no political party affiliations at the Gaon Panchayat level, such affiliations are permissible for candidates at the Anchalik Panchayat and Zilla Parishad levels, Kumar noted.

The nomination process is scheduled to begin on April 3 and will conclude on April 11 for both election phases. Nomination papers will be scrutinized on April 12, with the deadline for candidate withdrawal set for April 17. The elections will cover three levels: Gaon Panchayat, Anchalik Panchayat, and Zilla Parishad. The positions include 21,920 Gaon Panchayat members, 2,192 Gram Panchayat Presidents, and various other roles.

To ensure smooth conduct, over 1.20 lakh polling personnel will be deployed alongside adequate security staff. Notably, candidates must adhere to several criteria: they should not have more than two living children as of the nomination date, and specific educational requirements vary by position. Candidates for Gaon Panchayat membership must have completed their HSLC (Class 10) exams, while those for Zilla Parishad and Anchalik Panchayat roles need to have passed the HSSLC (Class 12) exams. Different educational criteria exist for SC, ST, OBC, and MOBC candidates.

Only those aged 21 and above who maintain a functional sanitary toilet in their residence are eligible to contest, as per the commission's guidelines.

(With inputs from agencies.)