Guwahati: The polling for Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections concluded peacefully on Friday evening, but the voters’ turnout was visibly low this time. Held after a gap of nine years for various reasons including the Covid-19 pandemic, the exercise witnessed only 50% polling percentage.
The counting of votes is scheduled for 24 April and the outcome is expected by the afternoon hours as the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for the first time in GMC polls. The voting began at 7.30 am and continued till 4.30 pm while a total of 7,97,807 voters (including 4,00,658 females and 26 third-genders) were empowered to exercise their franchise.
Altogether 197 candidates are in the fray for 57 wards (three BJP candidates were declared winners unopposed), where the nominees of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Asom Gana Parishad have been electorally challenged by the Congress, Asom Jatiya Parishad, Aam Admi Party and independent candidates. The issues surfaced during poll-campaigns include a safe & secured, clean & green, flash flood-free city with the regular supply of piped drinking water to residents.
State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, former CM (and presently Union minister) Sarbananda Sonowal, many State ministers, legislators, BJP leaders campaigned for the saffron candidates and their allies, while the Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah led the campaign for their candidates. AJP chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi along with other party leaders tried to woo voters for their nominees and AAP brought the party’s Delhi legislator Atishi Marlena for a brief campaign in the city.
