Assam polls: CM Sarbananda Sonowal in fray as voting begins for 47 seats in first phase

People queued up at polling booths in Assam as voting began for the first phase of Assam assembly election in which 47 constituencies will be deciding the fates of 264 candidates. Voting for the first phase of polling in Assam began at 7 am on Saturday morning. A total of 81.09 lakh voters will exercise their franchise in 11,537 polling stations to choose among 264 candidates in 47 assembly constituencies across 11 districts of Upper Assam, Northern Assam and some parts of central Assam’s Nagaon district. Voting in the first phase of polling on Saturday will decide the fates of Assam Chief Minister Sabananda Sonowal, six Cabinet ministers Ranjit Dutta, Naba Doley, Jogen Mahan, Sanjay Kishan, AGP president Atul Bora, Keshab Mahanta, jailed peasants’ rights activist Akhil Gogoi, former general secretary of AASU and present president of AJP Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora and AICC secretary Bhupen Kumar Borah.