9.10 lakh voters to decide the fate of 34 candidates in 5 assembly seats
Guwahati, Nov 12: The stage is set for by-elections in Assam’s five assembly constituencies Dholai, Sidli, Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri scheduled for Wednesday. On Tuesday, polling personnel began departing for their designated stations, with a total of 9,10,665 voters set to decide the fate of 34 candidates across 1,078 polling stations.
Voting will occur from 7 am to 5 pm.
Among the total electors, 2,796 are service voters, 4,197 are persons with disabilities (PwD), and 3,788 are voters over the age of 85.
Samaguri constituency has the highest number of candidates, with 11 individuals contesting the seat. This by-election is being viewed as a “semi-final” ahead of the 2026 Assam assembly elections.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anurag Goel briefed the media on preparations, stating that 9,000 polling personnel and 13 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), are deployed to ensure a peaceful and orderly election process.
Approximately 55 percent of polling booths will have live webcasting, while the remaining will be monitored by on-ground staff, providing an additional layer of security and transparency.
Polling personnel and security arrangements have been finalized across the five constituencies
For Samaguri Constituency, a total of 868 polling personnel, accompanied by 12 general observers, 27 sector officers, and 72 micro-observers, departed from Nagaon district headquarters on Tuesday. In this constituency, two all-women polling stations will operate at Amabagan Higher Secondary School, with the remaining 195 stations staffed by male personnel.
For Behali Constituency, 744 presiding and polling officers left for 154 polling stations on Tuesday. Around 150 vehicles were allocated for transporting Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to these locations.
Sidli Constituency saw the deployment of 1,224 polling personnel for 273 polling stations, with 31 sector officers and 11 zonal officers coordinating the polling process. A total of 2,17,236 voters, comprising 1,09,308 female, 1,07,924 male, and 4 third-gender voters, are registered to vote on Wednesday.
For Bongaigaon Constituency, a total of 1,078 presiding and polling officials, supported by 700 security personnel, left for 246 polling stations on Tuesday. EVMs were transported using 234 vehicles. This constituency will feature two women-run polling stations and three model polling stations.
Tensions have been high in Samaguri constituency as daily clashes between BJP and Congress supporters have erupted since the by-election was announced. Both parties have lodged numerous complaints with the Election Commission, reflecting the charged atmosphere ahead of the vote.
The Congress candidate Tanzil Hussain, son of Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, is contesting against BJP’s Diplu Ranjan Sarma. Rakibul Hussain, who won the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat by a record margin of over 10.12 lakh votes, previously held the Samaguri assembly seat for five consecutive terms before transitioning to Parliament. This background has set up a significant electoral showdown in Samaguri, making the by-election a focal point of political rivalry between the two parties.
The history of the constituency and the high-profile candidates have contributed to an intensely competitive environment, with heightened security and vigilance measures in place to manage the ongoing tension.
