Daijiworld Media Network- Guwahati

Guwahati, May 8: The second and final phase of the Assam Panchayat elections witnessed a voter turnout of 56.71 per cent by 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, with the final figures expected later, according to officials from the State Election Commission.

Polling, which began at 7:30 a.m. and concluded at 4:30 p.m., was held across 13 districts, including Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Bajali, Nalbari, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Hojai, Nagaon, Morigaon, and Darrang. Voters who had entered the polling booths by closing time were allowed to cast their votes even after the deadline.

Among the districts, Bongaigaon recorded the highest voter participation at 62.72%, while Kamrup reported the lowest turnout at 51.33%.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma exercised his franchise at the Amingaon Bengali Higher Secondary School in his Jalukbari constituency, urging citizens to vote for a “prosperous future for rural Assam.”

This phase involved 91.31 lakh eligible voters, including 46.30 lakh men, 44.99 lakh women, and 251 individuals from other categories. Elections were held for 181 Zila Parishad (ZP) constituencies, 87 Anchalik Parishad (AP) seats, and 10,530 Gaon Panchayat (GP) wards.

A total of 29,608 candidates were in the fray in this phase, with 1,289 candidates -- including 21 ZP, 151 AP, and 1,117 GP members -- elected unopposed.

Repolling, if necessary, has been scheduled for May 9, and counting of votes for both phases will take place on May 11.

In the first phase, held across 14 districts including Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Majuli, and Cachar, a 70.19 per cent turnout was recorded.

These panchayat elections are the first to be conducted in Assam following the delimitation of constituencies, a significant move aimed at improving administrative efficiency and representation. Notably, seven districts under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution did not participate, as they follow separate autonomous council election procedures.