Guwahati, Mar 27 (IANS): The voting for the first phase of Assam assembly elections began on Saturday morning amid tight security, an official said.

Men and women in large numbers queued up in front of the polling stations well before the voting for 47 of the total of 126 assembly seats opened at 7 a.m.

The polling would continue till 6 p.m.

A total of 8,109,815 voters, including 4,032,481 females, are eligible to cast their votes across 11,537 polling stations mostly covering the eastern Assam's 14 districts.

Saturday's first phase of polling will decide the fate of 264 candidates, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, several of his cabinet colleagues, Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami, state Congress chief Ripun Bora, Asom Gana Parishad chief Atul Bora, Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia, jailed Raijor Dal President and prominent peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi, and 23 women aspirants.

Covid-19 protocols for the voters including social distancing and thermal screening are being maintained.