High Voter Turnout Marks Assam Bypolls Amid Sporadic Violence

Nearly 50% of voters in Assam's by-elections participated within the first six hours of polling, despite sporadic violence in some areas. Allegations of voter intimidation emerged alongside technical glitches with EVMs, but overall, the voting process remained mostly peaceful across the constituencies involved.

Nearly half of the 9.1 lakh registered voters in Assam cast their votes in the initial six hours of polling during Wednesday's by-elections for five assembly constituencies, despite reports of sporadic violence, officials reported.

The Election Commission stated that around 49.76% of the 9,09,057 eligible electors, including women and the third gender, voted by 1 PM to determine the fate of 34 candidates contesting the elections. While Behali recorded the highest turnout at 55.6%, Samaguri and Bongaigaon followed closely with over 50% turnout.

Assam Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel confirmed the peaceful nature of the voting process but acknowledged minor incidents of violence in Samaguri and Behali, ensuring they did not affect the polling stations. Concurrently, reports of EVM malfunctions were addressed promptly by replacing faulty machines, ensuring a smooth voting experience for most electors.

(With inputs from agencies.)