High-Stakes Showdown: Assam's Pivotal Assembly Elections Kick Off

The Assam assembly elections officially commenced on Thursday, covering all 126 constituencies and featuring a total of 722 candidates. At stake is the prospect of governance for another term by the ruling BJP or a potential comeback by the Congress, unseated in the 2016 elections.

The polls operate in a single phase from 7 am to 5 pm, as enthusiastic voters queued outside stations early in the day. The electorate numbers approximately 2.50 crore, including 1.25 crore women and 318 identifying as third gender, spread across 31,490 polling booths statewide.

Prominent figures in the election include Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress President Gaurav Gogoi. Not to be overlooked, parties like AIUDF, and independent candidates have entered the fray, as well as an array of smaller parties and alliances. Votes will be tallied on May 4.