Guwahati, Apr 4 (ANI): Twelve per cent of the electorate cast their votes in the first two hours of polling in 62 Assembly constituencies of Assam today.
There were reports of malfunctioning of electronic voting machines in some constituencies, which were immediately replaced, and voting continued uninterrupted
The voting, which started at 7 a.m. will continue till 3 p.m.
Four hundred and eighty five candidates, including 38 women, are in the fray for this phase. Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have fielded candidates in all the 62 constituencies, while Asom Gana Parishad is contesting 51 constituencies.
There are 157 independent candidates in the fray for this phase.
Among the prominent Congress leaders whose fate would be decided on Monday are incumbent Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi from Titabor, Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi (Margherita), Excise Minister Gautam Roy (Katlicherra), Culture Minister Bharat Narah (Dhakuakhana), Khor Sing Ingti (Howraghat) and Works Minister Ajanta Neog (Golaghat).
Prominent AGP leaders who are in the fray in the first phase are Brindabon Goswami (Tezpur), Pradip Hazarika (Amguri) and Padma Hazarika (Sootea).
Monday's polling will also determine the fate of BJP leaders Ranjit Dutta (Bihali), Ranjan Das (Karimganj North), Parimal Sukalabaidya (Dholai), Kamakhya Tasa (Margherita) and Prasanta Phukan (Dibrugarh).
Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polls.
A total of 2,033 booths have been identified as hyper sensitive, 2,985 sensitive and 817 hamlets as vulnerable.
Altogether 346 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed. 65 to 75 per cent of polling stations will be covered by central paramilitary forces and the rest by police, micro-observers and video-cameras.
The second phase of elections will be held on April 11. Results are due on May 13. (ANI)
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