Assam Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Jalukbari, Himanta Biswa Sarma, visited the revered Maa Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati on the day of the Assam Assembly elections. Seeking divine blessings, CM Sarma, accompanied by his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, performed rituals at the temple and interacted with priests. The Kamakhya Temple, located atop the Nilachal Hills, is of significant religious importance, often visited by political leaders before crucial events.
Assam is currently witnessing a high-stakes electoral battle with polling underway in all 126 Assembly constituencies. The contest primarily involves the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led opposition alliance. The ruling BJP, under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, aims for a third consecutive term, while the Congress seeks to return to power after 2016.
A total of 722 candidates are contesting in the elections, including prominent figures like CM Sarma, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi, and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal. Polling is being conducted across 31,490 polling stations spread over 35 districts, with around 2.50 crore eligible voters, including a significant number of women and voters from the third gender category.
The Congress party has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90 candidates. Other parties in the fray include AIUDF, Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland People’s Front, Raijor Dal, AJP, CPI(M), AAP, UPPL, TMC, and JMM, along with 258 Independent candidates. Notably, some constituencies witness a high number of candidates, while others have straight contests with only two candidates each.
