Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma flags off bike rally in Guwahati

Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 5 (ANI): Amid a high-octane campaign for the third phase of polls in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday flagged off a bike rally in Guwahati to garner support for BJP candidate Bijuli Kalita Medhi.

The Assam Chief Minister was accompanied by party workers and supporters.

The four constituencies of Guwahati, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Dhubri will go to polls in the third phase on May 7, with 47 candidates in the fray.

Guwahati will see a main contest between two women candidates – Bijuli Kalita Medhi of the BJP and Mira Borthakur of the Congress. If Borthakur wins, then she will become the first woman Congress MP from this seat.

In Assam, the BJP is contesting in 11 out of 14 seats, while its ally, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), is contesting in two seats (Barpeta and Dhubri) and the UPPL in one seat (Kokrajhar).

Assam recorded a 77.35 per cent voter turnout in the second phase on April 26 and 78.25 per cent in the first phase on April 19. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

In the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 7 of the 14 seats in Assam. Both the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) claimed three seats each.

During the 2019 elections, the BJP increased its seat count to 9, while the Congress maintained its three seats, and the AIUDF won a single seat.