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BJP National Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda on Thursday sought the blessings of Maa Kamakhya Devi ahead of polling in Assam, urging voters to participate actively in the Assembly elections.
Speaking to the media here, Panda called the election day's "gentle drizzle very auspicious". He urged voters to treat the day as a festival of democracy and cast their votes. "Today, I have come to seek the blessings of Maa Kamakhya Devi. When I was first entrusted with this responsibility four months ago, I came here to seek her blessings; and today, on the day of the election, there is a gentle drizzle. This is considered very auspicious. I seek the Maa's blessings, and I appeal to all voters: this is a festival of democracy, and please be sure to exercise your right and cast your vote," he said. Voting has commenced for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Keralam, and 30 in Puducherry. The counting of votes will take place on May 4. Meanwhile, voter turnout in Assam was recorded at 17.87 per cent till 9 AM, as per the data shared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the ongoing 2026 Assembly elections. In Assam, more than 2.5 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise for the 126-member legislative assembly. There are 722 candidates in the fray. Of 2,50,54,463 electors, 1,25,31,552 are male voters and 1,25,22,593 females. There are 318 Transgender voters and 63,423 service voters. Among the electorate, 6,42,314 voters are in the age group of 18-19 years, 2,50,006 are above 80 years of age, and 2,05,085 are persons with disabilities. To strengthen the monitoring mechanism, webcasting facilities have been arranged in accordance with the Commission's directions, a release said. Webcasting has been enabled in all 31,490 polling stations, including 31,486 main polling stations and four auxiliary polling stations. A total of 1,51,132 polling personnel have been deployed for the conduct of the election. For polling purposes, 41,320 Ballot Units, 43,975 Control Units, and 43,997 VVPAT machines have been arranged, including reserves for emergency use. Additional polling personnel have also been kept in readiness, if required. The Congress has stitched a six-party alliance to take on the ruling BJP-led NDA, which is seeking its third successive term in office. (ANI)
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