GUWAHATI:
The stage is set for elections to 60 wards of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) on April 22.
For the first time, the electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in the civic body polls, to be held after a gap of nine years.
Altogether 197 candidates are in fray in 57 wards, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates elected unopposed in three wards. Three candidates of ward nos. 5, 6 and 22 have been already declared winners uncontested.
On April 21, polling officials, including presiding and polling officers engaged in the GMC election, proceeded to their respective polling stations along with EVMs and other election materials from Maniram Dewan Trade Centre
Kamrup Metro district election officer Pallav Gopal Jha extended his best wishes to polling officials for performing their duty smoothly.
In this election, a total of 757 polling stations have been set up, of which 80 polling stations will be manned exclusively by women polling officials.
This year, a total of 7,97,807 voters will exercise their franchise, of which 3,97,128 are male voters, 4,00,658 are female, and 26 belong to the third gender. The voting will start from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm on Friday.
The counting of votes will be held on April 24 at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre and the result will be declared on the same day.
The notification for elections to the 60 wards of GMC was issued on March 23 and the model code of conduct came into force with immediate effect.
The BJP has contested from 53 wards as it had left seven wards for its ally AGP to field candidates. The Congress is in the fray in 54 wards, while Aam Admi Party (AAP), which is debuting in GMC polls this year, fielded candidates in 39 wards.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the BJP’s election campaign, addressing multiple rallies across the city, while for the saffron party’s coalition partner, Asom Gana Parishad’s (AGP), the campaign was helmed by its president and agriculture minister Atul Bora.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah led the main Opposition party on its campaign trail.
While Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) brought in its Delhi MLA Atishi Marlena to woo voters, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) had its chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi leading the campaign.
Besides door-to-door canvassing and rallies, the parties took out car and bike rallies through the streets of the city with the campaign reaching its peak on Wednesday before its end.
In its “Sankalpa Patra” (election manifesto) which was released by the chief minister, the saffron party has assured of round-the-clock piped water to all households.
It has vowed to make the city free of waterlogging problems by undertaking different initiatives, including the de-siltation of drains and river channels using modern technology.
Making the city crime-free, providing land rights to city residents, introducing an integrated traffic management system and scientific waste management are among the assurances made by the BJP.
The Congress in its manifesto, has promised drinking water to all households within 100 days, set up 100 vending zones for small businesses within 30 days, installation of functional street lights and make the city flood and pollution-free.