75 per cent turnout in Assam first phase poll

Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI) An estimated 75 per cent voters
Monday exercised their franchise in the first phase of the
assembly election of east Indian state of Assam covering 62 of
the 126 constituencies, which was by and large peaceful.
"The figure is likely to cross 75 per cent as reports
from remote areas are still coming in", Additional Chief
Electoral Officer M C Sahu told PTI here in the state capital.
Deputy Election Commissioner Alok Shukla told reporters
in the Indian capital New Delhi that polling was "very, very
peaceful today. No major incident of violence has taken
place".
Monday's poll in Assam marked the start of the
democratic exercise that will also cover southern states
of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, eastern state West Bengal and
southern Union Territory Puducherry in April and May. While
Assam will have two-phased poll, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and
Puducherry in one phase and West Bengal in six phases ending
on May 10. The vote count is scheduled for May 13.
Polling was brisk and peaceful and by late afternoon
the turnout figure was about 65 per cent which is likely to
increase and touch 75 per cent, he said.
Polling personnel are yet to return from remote booths
and then only the exact figure could be ascertained, he
said.
Sahu said the election was by and large peaceful and
there was one incident of clash between the polling agent of a
political party and voters in a polling both in Karimganj
constituency where polling was stopped for sometime.
"The matter has been reported to the Election Commission
which will take a final decision and let us know", he said.
There are 85,09,011 voters in the first phase of
polling while the second phase of election for the rest 64
constituencies will be held on April 11.
A report from Jeraigaon said the mother of absconding
top United Liberation Front of Asom leader Paresh Baruah, who
is opposed to peace talks with the government, cast her vote
in Assam's Dibrugarh district Monday saying she had always
reposed faith in democracy.
Her youngest son Bikul Baruah, a school teacher, with
whom she lived, was on election duty as a polling officer. Her
two older sons Bimal Baruah, an employee at the Army's supply
depot at Panitola, and Pradip Baruah, also an armyman, voted
along with five family members.
A report from Sibsagar/Dibrugarh said overground cadres
of ULFA will not exercise their franchise in Assam assembly
polls though arrangements for postal ballots for them has been
made by the Election Commission.
ULFA Vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi told PTI that the outfit
had already announced that it would boycott the polls but not
disturb the poll process.
Shulka said there were a couple of minor incidents like
a clash between supporters of two parties assaulted a polling
personnel by some voters at a polling station where polling
was interrupted.
In a polling station, the polling official did not
press the button in the Electronic Voting Machine leading to
some discrepancy in the voting and polling was boycotted in
some polling booths on developmental issues, Shukla said.
A decision on repolling in some of the polling stations
after getting reports from the polling parties, he said.