As two phases of polling for 21 Lok Sabha seats in northeast India have passed almost peacefully with a higher percentage of voters’ turnout than the national average, Assam is waiting for the third and final phase of voting on 7 May in four parliamentary constituencies. Altogether, 94 parliamentary seats belonging to 12 states and union territories will go to the polls in this phase, where Gujarat electors will vote for all 26 representatives to the 18th Lok Sabha along with Karnataka (14 seats), Maharashtra (11 seats), Uttar Pradesh (10 seats), Madhya Pradesh (8 seats), Chhattisgarh (7 seats), Bihar (5 seats), West Bengal (4 seats), Goa (2 seats), Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (2 seats), and Jammu & Kashmir (1 seat).

A total of 1,351 nominees will seek electoral mandates in this phase, where the counting of votes will take place on 4 June (after four more phases of polling scheduled for 13, 20, 25 May and 1 June) and the results of the general elections in 2024 are expected the same day. The 1st (19 April) and 2nd (26 April) phases covered 102 and 88 parliamentary constituencies, respectively, where the Election Commission of India (ECI) revealed the final voter turnout as 66.14 per cent and 66.71 per cent respectively. Compared to the national average, Assam recorded a far better 78.25 and 77.35 polling percentages in the last two phases.

In the last phase of Assam polling, over 45 nominees belonging to national and regional political parties (including a few independent candidates) are trying their electoral luck. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which put candidates in all ten parliamentary seats of the state in the last two phases, fields only one party nominee in this phase. The saffron party has nominated a relatively unknown face (Bijuli Kalita Medhi) for the Guwahati LS constituency and extended support to its alliance candidates, namely Phani Bhusan Choudhury (Asom Gana Parishad) from Barpeta, Zabed Islam (AGP) from Dhubri, and Jayanta Basumtary (United People’s Party Liberal) for the Kokrajhar seat. Former BJP leader Mira Borthakur Goswami (now in the Indian National Congress) will put an electoral challenge to the former Assam BJP women’s wing chief.

In Barpeta, the AGP legislator will face Deep Bayan (Congress), Manoranjan Talukdar (a CPM legislator), and others, whereas in Dhubri, the AGP nominee will challenge sitting All India United Democratic Front MP Badruddin Ajmal and Congress legislator Rakibul Hussain in the westernmost constituency of Assam. As the nomination of sitting Kokrajhar MP Naba Kr Sarania was cancelled, the electoral fight in the Bodo-dominated constituency will be a triangular one, where the UPPL nominee will face challenges from Garjan Mashhary (Congress) and Khampa Borgoyary (Bodoland People’s Front).

In the last phase, the BJP put sitting MP Dilip Saikia in the Darrang-Udalguri seat, who faces electoral challenges from Madhav Rajbangshi (Congress) and Durgadas Boro (BPF). The Diphu seat witnesses frontal electoral fights between Amarsing Tisso (BJP) and Joy Ram Engleng (Congress). Similarly, in Silchar, state minister Parimal Suklabaidya faced Surya Kanta Sarkar (Congress) and Radheshyam Biswas (Trinamool Congress) in the electoral battles. The Congress party is expecting a satisfactory outcome in the Karimganj and Nagaon LS seats. In Karimganj, the oldest party fielded Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury against Sahabul Islam Choudhury (AIUDF) and Kripanath Malla (BJP). The sitting Congress MP, Pradyut Bordoloi, primarily faces Aminul Islam (AIUDF) and Suresh Borah (BJP) in Nagaon.

Besides Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya also recorded impressive polling, ranging from 75 to over 80 per cent in both phases. Even Nagaland, where six districts, namely Mon, Longleng, Tuensang, Kiphire, Noklak, and Shamator, voted zero, recorded around 57 per cent polling. The voters of Arunachal Pradesh successfully exercised their franchise to elect two MPs and 50 legislators, with a turnout of around 67 per cent. Mentionable is that 10 BJP candidates, including state chief minister Pema Khandu and his deputy Chowna Mein, had already won the race with no opposition candidates. Union minister Kiren Rijiju faces Congress nominee Nabam Tuki in the Arunachal West seat, and sitting saffron MP Tapir Gao has been challenged by Bosiram Siram in the Arunachal East constituency. Sikkim electorates also voted for 32 legislators along with one MP, with more than 75 per cent voters’ responses. The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha fielded sitting MP Indra Hang Subba against former Parliamentarians Prem Das Rai (Sikkim Democratic Front), Gopal Chettri (Congress), and Dinesh Chandra Nepal (BJP). In the assembly segments, State CM Prem Singh Tamang, former CM Pawan Kumar Chamling, legendary footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, etc. are contesting from separate constituencies.

Tripura recorded the highest voter turnout, with its West Tripura seat witnessing as high as over 81 per cent polling. The ruling BJP fielded former state chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb against the united opposition candidate Ashish Kumar Saha. The East Tripura seat that went to the polls in the 2nd phase, where the saffron party supported Tipra Motha candidate Kriti Singh Devbarma against CPM nominee Rajendra Reang, recorded over 80 polling percentages. Meghalaya also recorded impressive polling, where the Tura LS seat went up to 81 per cent and the Shillong constituency recorded over 65 per cent voting. The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) fielded sitting MP Agatha Sangma against Zenith Sangma (All India Trinamool Congress) and Saleng A Sangma (Congress) in Tura, and it nominated State Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh against sitting Congress MP Vincent Pala in Shillong.

Amidst relentless troubles for a year because of ethnic conflicts between Meiteis and Kukis, the polling in Manipur witnessed violence. In fact, it was the only north-eastern state to witness electoral violence till now. Many booths in and around Imphal went for re-polling, and the state’s final voter turnout reached over 75 per cent. In the Inner Manipur constituency, which went to the polls on 19 April, Congress nominee Angomcha Bimol Akoijam is challenged by BJP candidate Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh. Some parts of the Outer Manipur seat went to the polls in the 1st phase too, and the rest in the 2nd phase, which went peacefully. Kachui Timothy Zimik (Naga People’s Front), who is supported by the BJP, faces Congress candidate Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur. Contrary to Manipur, Mizoram witnessed very peaceful polling but recorded only over 55 percent turnout. Zoram People’s Movement nominee Richard Vanlalhmangaiha has been challenged for the lone LS seat by Mizo National Front candidate K. Vanlalvena, Congress contestant Lalbiakzama, and BJP nominee Pu Vanhlalmuaka.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is looking for 400+ seats in the 545-member lower house of Parliament under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But despite relentless awareness campaigns by the ECI, social organisations, media outlets, and political personalities, including Modi, who is seeking a third consecutive premiership, the voter turnout remains unsatisfactory in mainland India. Northeast has done better in polling percentage, thanks to a localised campaign by Lok Jagran Manch Asom for 100 per cent voter turnout. The Assam-based nationalist forum launched the campaign with printed leaflets, music videos, and short plays to inspire the voters to cast their votes with pride and responsibility. It’s expected that the voters of western Assam will maintain the same spirit in the final phase of polling.

The writer is a Guwahati-based special representative of The Statesman