Voter turnout reaches 9.15% in 5 Assam Lok Sabha seats by 9 am

In Assam's second phase of parliamentary elections, 9.15% of 7.7 million voters cast ballots by 9 am. Diphu recorded the highest turnout at 14.13%, while Silchar had the lowest at 5.49%. Notable candidates who voted include Parimal Suklabaidya and Surya Kanta Sarkar in Silchar, Joyram Engleng in Diphu, and Pradyut Bordoloi in Nagaon. 61 candidates are contesting in this phase, with 9,133 polling stations serving 77.2 million voters, including 38.6 million women and 179 third-gender voters.

An estimated 9.15 per cent of 77,26,668 electors voted till 9 am in five parliamentary constituencies of Assam, where polling is underway in the second phase on Friday, officials said. The highest polling of 14.13 per cent was recorded in Diphu (ST), followed by 9.61 per cent in Karimganj, 9.16 per cent at Darrang-Udalguri, 9.07 per cent in Nagaon and the lowest 5.49 per cent in Silchar, they said.

Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm.

The prominent candidates who exercised their franchise are Assam Minister for Excise, Transport and Fisheries Parimal Suklabaidya and his Congress rival Surya Kanta Sarkar in Silchar (SC), Congress candidate Joyram Engleng in Diphu (ST) and sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi in Nagaon.

Altogether 77,26,668 voters, including 38,61,559 women and 179 third gender, are likely to exercise their franchise in 9,133 polling stations.

Sixty-one candidates are in the fray in this phase.