Will the anti-CAA sentiments turn into votes against the ruling BJP and its allies in Assam? Or the polarisation narratives and the developmental works being highlighted by BJP would retain the voters' faith in the saffron party?
These questions are doing the rounds as Assam is set for the first phase of polling in 47 of 126 seats in eastern and North Assam districts, the Assamese heartland which witnessed strong protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
A total of 81,09,815 voters will decide the fate of 264 candidates on Saturday. Assam has a total of 2,33,74,087 electorates.
Voting will begin at 7 am and continue till 6 pm.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Majuli), president of Asom Pradesh Congress Committee, Ripun Bora (Gohpur), AGP president Atul Bora (Bokakhat), Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly Hitendra Nath Goswami (Jorhat), Akhil Gogoi of Raijor Dal (Sivasagar) and Lurinjyoti Gogoi of Assam Jatiya Parishad (Duliajan) are some of the heavyweights contesting in the first phase.
The BJP is contesting in 39 of the 47 seats while its ally AGP has put up its candidates in 10 seats (friendly fight in two seats). The Congress, on the other hand, is fighting in 43 seats while Assam Jatiya Parishad, a new party backed by the influential All Assam Students Union is fighting in 41 seats.
The BJP in the 2016 Assembly elections had bagged 35 of the 47 seats but the anti-CAA agitation that rocked Assam in 2019 has posed a threat to the saffron party's prospect. But BJP leaders tried to downplay the issue saying that people were not concerned over the CAA and were happy with the development works done since 2016. BJP general secretary, Dilip Saikia, said they would win 43 seats in the first phase, while the Congress said the indigenous Assamese voters would give BJP a "befitting reply" in the first phase for bringing in the CAA.
"People must vote for a government that upholds the Constitution and the principles of democracy and will care for every citizen, every community, language and culture. People must vote for a government that will put Assam back to the path of peace and development. In the past five years, people have been divided based on religion, culture and language. That must end," former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a video message on Friday. Singh was a Rajya Sabha member from Assam between 1991 to 2019.
Tea garden voters are also going to be crucial in the constituencies in Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Sonitpur and Biswanath districts. The BJP reiterated its promise to increase the daily wage of the tea garden workers to Rs 350 while Congress has given a "guarantee" to enhance the same to Rs 365.
All eyes will also be on AJP and Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal, which came into being out of the anti-CAA agitation. The two parties have made the CAA their main poll plank and are eyeing the seats mainly in the constituencies going for polls in the first phase.
The first phase has only 23 women candidates in the fray.
Polling for 39 seats will be held in the second phase on April 1 and for the rest of the 40 seats in the third and final phase on April 6.
Covid-19 protocols:
Chief Electoral Officer, Assam Nitin Khade told reporters in Guwahati that Covid-19 protocols would be in place in all polling stations as per guidelines of the Election Commission of India.
Covid-19 tests of the polling personnel have been conducted while voters have been asked to wear masks and maintain a distance of six feet while in the queue. Masks would be made available to those not coming with the same while single-use hand gloves would be provided to voters before pressing the EVM button.
Assam on Thursday reported 40 new Covid-19 positive cases while one person died. Total positive cases stood at 389.