Who describes the northeast as a land of separatists, where the residents often remain reluctant to participate in any national event, including the general elections? While a declining voters’ turnout emerged in various parts of India during the last three phases of the 18th Lok Sabha polls, the north-eastern region showcased an excellent voter response in a peaceful ambience, except in some areas of Manipur. The sensitive voters have thus shown their inherent commitment to the nation by participating in the greatest electoral show on Earth with unparalleled enthusiasm.

The land-locked region sends 25 members to the lower house of parliament, and the electorates exercised their franchises through electronic voting machines in all three phases, with more than 10 per cent more voter turnout than the national average. Assam, the largest state in the Northeast, witnessed fully peaceful and participatory polling in the final phase on 7 May for four parliamentary constituencies, namely Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri, and Kokrajhar, with over 80 per cent voter turnout, which is nearly 15 per cent higher than the recorded electoral participations by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in other parts of the south Asian nation.

Altogether, 93 Lok Sabha seats belonging to 11 states and union territories went to the polls in the 3rd phase. The voters of Gujarat (25 seats), 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 and Kashmir (1 seat) had already confirmed their mandates to the preferred representatives out of 1,331 nominees belonging to national and regional political parties (including a few independent candidates).

After four more phases of polling scheduled for 13, 20, 25 May and 1 June, the counting of votes will take place on 4 June, and the results are expected the same day. According to the ECI, polling in the 3rd phase recorded 64.4 per cent voter turnout nationally, where Assam topped the list with an 81.61 per cent electoral response, followed by West Bengal (75.79 per cent), Goa (75.20 per cent), Chhattisgarh (71.06 per cent), Karnataka (70.41 per cent), Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (69.87 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (66.05 per cent), Maharashtra (61.44 per cent), Gujarat (58.98 per cent), Bihar (58.18 per cent), and Uttar Pradesh (57.34 per cent).

The first two phases on 19 and 26 April (covering 102 and 88 parliamentary seats, respectively) recorded voter turnout as 66.14 and 66.71 per cent, respectively, while Assam reported far better (78.25 and 77.35, respectively) polling percentages. Tripura, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Manipur also recorded impressive polling (over 75 per cent) in the 1st and 2nd phases. Nagaland, even after six districts voted zero, recorded around 57 per cent polling for the lone parliamentary seat. The voters of Arunachal Pradesh successfully exercised their franchise to elect two MPs and 50 legislators, with a turnout of around 67 per cent. Mizoram witnessed peaceful polling for the lone parliamentary seat, but it recorded only 55 per cent turnout.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put candidates in all ten parliamentary seats in Assam in the first and second phases, but the saffron party fielded only one nominee (Bijuli Kalita Medhi for the Guwahati LS seat) in the last phase. It extended support to its alliance candidates, namely Phani Bhusan Choudhury (Asom Gana Parishad) for the Barpeta seat, Zabed Islam (AGP) for Dhubri, and Jayanta Basumtary (United People’s Party Liberal) for the Kokrajhar constituency. The former women’s wing chief of Assam state primarily faces an electoral challenge from Indian National Congress candidate Mira Borthakur Goswami in Guwahati.

In Barpeta, the AGP legislator faces Deep Bayan (Congress), Manoranjan Talukdar (a CPM legislator), and a few others, whereas in Dhubri, the AGP nominee challenges sitting All India United Democratic Front MP Moulana Badruddin Ajmal and Congress legislator Rakibul Hussain in the westernmost constituency. The nomination of sitting Kokrajhar MP Naba Kr Sarania was cancelled, and hence the electoral battle in the Bodo-dominated constituency emerged as a triangular contest, where the UPPL nominee faces challenges from Kampa Borgoyary (Bodoland People’s Front) and Garjan Mashhary (Congress).

In the 2nd phase, the BJP’s sitting MP Dilip Saikia faces electoral challenges from Madhav Rajbangshi (Congress) and Durgadas Boro (BPF) in the Darrang-Udalguri seat. The Diphu seat witnesses frontal electoral fights between Amarsing Tisso (BJP) and Joy Ram Engleng (Congress). In Silchar, state minister Parimal Suklabaidya faced Surya Kanta Sarkar (Congress) and Radheshyam Biswas (Trinamul Congress). The Congress party is expecting positive outcomes in the Nagaon and Karimganj seats. The sitting MP Pradyut Bordoloi primarily faces Aminul Islam (AIUDF) and Suresh Borah (BJP) in Nagaon, and in Karimganj, the oldest party fielded Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury against Sahabul Islam Choudhury (AIUDF) and Kripanath Malla (BJP).

During the 1st phase, union minister Sarbananda Sonowal faced electoral challenges from Manoj Dhanowar (Aam Aadmi Party) and Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Asom Jatiya Parishad) in the Dibrugarh seat. Another Rajya Sabha member, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, had a direct contest with Roselina Tirkey (Congress) in Kaziranga. Similarly, in Sonitpur (earlier named Tezpur), BJP candidate Ranjit Dutta was challenged by Prem Lal Ganju (Congress) and Rishiraj Kaundinya (AAP). Sitting saffron MP Pradan Barua primarily faced challenges from Uday Shankar Hazarika (Congress) in Lakhimpur. Jorhat seat attracted public attention as two sitting MPs, namely Gaurav Gogoi (who represented the now-delimited Kaliabor seat) and sitting saffron MP Tapan Gogoi, contested with high promises.

Altogether, 88 parliamentary constituencies across 13 states and union territories (including Kerala, Karnataka, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir) went to the polls in the 2nd phase, where two seats in Tripura and Manipur also witnessed voting. In Tripura East, the saffron party supported Tipra Motha candidate Kriti Singh Debbarma against CPM nominee Rajendra Reang, which recorded over 80 per cent polling. Outer Manipur went to the polls in both phases, where Kachui Timothy Zimik (Naga People’s Front) was supported by the BJP against Congress candidate Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur. Many booths in and around Imphal went for re-polling, and the state’s voter turnout reached over 75 per cent.

The 1st phase covered 102 parliamentary seats under 17 states and four union territories (including Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Jammu & Kashmir, and all north-eastern states, where Sikkim voted for legislative assembly also). The electorate voted for 32 Sikkim legislators and an MP with 75 per cent electoral responses. The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha fielded sitting MP Indra Hang Subba against Prem Das Rai (Sikkim Democratic Front), Gopal Chettri (Congress), and Dinesh Chandra Nepal (BJP). State CM Prem Singh Tamang, former CM Pawan Kumar Chamling, legendary footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, etc. contested from separate assembly constituencies.

In Arunachal Pradesh, 10 BJP candidates, including state chief minister Pema Khandu and his deputy Chowna Mein, won the race in assembly segments with no fielded opponents. Union minister Kiren Rijiju faced Congress nominee Nabam Tuki in the Arunachal West seat, and sitting saffron MP Tapir Gao was challenged by Bosiram Siram in the Arunachal East constituency. West Tripura seat, where the BJP fielded former state CM Biplab Kumar Deb against the united opposition candidate Ashish Kumar Saha, witnessed over 81 per cent polling.

The Tura seat of Meghalaya also recorded 81 per cent turnout, where the ruling National People’s Party put sitting MP Agatha Sangma against Zenith Sangma (Trinamul Congress) and Saleng A Sangma (Congress). Shillong constituency, however, recorded around 65 per cent voting, where sitting Congress MP Vincent Pala was challenged by state minister Ampareen Lyngdoh.

In the Inner Manipur seat, BJP candidate Basanta Kumar Singh faced challenges from Angomcha Bimol Akoijam (Congress). Zoram People’s Movement nominee Richard Vanlalhmangaiha was challenged by K. Vanlalvena (Mizo National Front), Lalbiakzama (Congress), and Pu Vanhlalmuaka (BJP) for Mizoram’s lone seat, whereas in Nagaland, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party nominee Chumben Murry (endorsed by the People’s Democratic Alliance) emerged as a front-runner against his rival Supongmeren Jamir (Congress).

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is looking for 400+ seats in the 545-member Lok Sabha 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 here, thanks to a localised campaign by Lok Jagran Manch Asom for 100 per cent turnout, which successfully launched the campaign with printed leaflets, music videos, short plays, etc. to inspire the people to vote with pride and responsibility.

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