Assam is all poised for a riveting electoral contest as the first phase of the three-phased Lok Sabha polls begins, with five key constituencies ready to decide the fate of 35 candidates, including Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Key Details of the Polls:

Constituencies: The polling will span across Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga, Sonitpur, and Lakhimpur.

Voting Time: Polling will kick off at 7 am and conclude at 5 pm.

Electorate: A substantial total electorate of 86,47,869, with women leading at 43,64,859, and men at 42,82,887. Additionally, 123 third-gender voters are eligible to cast their votes across 10,001 polling booths.

Security: To ensure a smooth and secure voting process, 60 companies of security forces have been deployed across the five constituencies.

Party-wise Contest:

BJP: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting in all five seats.

Congress: The Indian National Congress is vying for four seats and supporting the Assam Jatiya Parishad in one.

AAP & Others: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is contesting two seats, while the All India Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) are in the fray for one seat each.

Constituency Highlights:

Dibrugarh: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal faces competition from the United Opposition Forum's Lurinjyoti Gogoi and AAP's Manoj Dhanowar.

Jorhat: Lok Sabha's Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Gaurav Gogoi, is in a direct face-off with BJP's Topon Gogoi.

Kaziranga: Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa of BJP competes against former Congress MLA Roselina Tirkey in a constituency with the highest 11 candidates.

Sonitpur: BJP MLA Ranjit Dutta, Congress candidate Prem Lal Ganju, and AAP's Rishiraj Kaundinya are set for a triangular contest.

Lakhimpur: BJP's Pradan Baruah and Congress's Uday Shankar Hazarika are among the nine contestants in this constituency.

Preparedness by Election Commission:

Assam Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel assures that the polls will be conducted with utmost integrity and safety. Key arrangements include:

Live Monitoring: All 5,509 polling stations will have live monitoring and webcasting.

Special Stations: Of the 10,001 polling booths, 92 are model stations, 11 are managed by People with Disability (PwD), and 752 are female-managed booths.

Assured Facilities: Drinking water, adequate seating, waiting sheds, restrooms, lighting, childcare areas, signage, and ramps will be available at all polling stations.

Accessibility: Special provisions like transport for the elderly, wheelchair assistance, and volunteer support are in place.

The stage is set for an intense electoral battle as Assam voters make their voices heard in this crucial phase of the Lok Sabha polls.