Guwahati: As the biggest electoral show on the planet began on April 19, 2024, the electorates of northeast Bharat have recorded impressive voter’ participation. Thousands of nominees from various national and regional political parties (along with some independent candidates) are contesting the seven-phase general elections, where the counting of votes in electronic voting machines is scheduled to take place on June 4 (and results are also expected the same day).
The Election Commission of India assured the voters of free, fair & peaceful polls to elect 543 members to 18th Lok Sabha for the next five years and urged them to participate in the biggest festival of democracy (costing New Delhi around Rupees 1,200 billion). Leaving aside some stray incidents, the first and second phases of polling were peaceful, with around 65 percent national voter turnout despite heat waves and rains in many places. Along with the parliamentary constituencies, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in our region simultaneously went to their legislative assembly elections too. India with 1.4 billion population (highest on Earth) has a 545-member lower house of Parliament, where two members are nominated by the President from the Anglo-Indian community. Northeast with a population of 60 million sends 25 MPs to Lok Sabha.
Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam recorded impressive polling from 75 per cent to 80 per cent. Even Nagaland, where six districts namely Mon, Longleng, Tuensang, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator had zero voting, recorded around 57 per cent polling. Voters of Arunachal 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. Sikkim electorates also voted for 32 legislators, along with one MP with more than 75 per cent turnout. Despite relentless awareness campaigns by the ECI, various social organisations and news channels, voter turnout continues to decline in mainland India. In comparison, northeast Bharat has done far better, thanks to a localised campaign by Lok Jagaran Mancha 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 arrive at the polling booths on time and cast their votes with pride and responsibility.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put candidates in all ten Parliamentary seats of Assam, where the voting was conducted in the first two phases. The voters of Dibrugarh, Kaziranga, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur and Jorhat LS constituencies recorded over 75 per cent polling in the 1st phase. On the other hand, Darrang-Udalguri, Nagaon, Diphu, Silchar and Karimganj seats experienced over 80 per cent polling in the 2nd phase. The saffron party has nominated Bijuli Kalita Medhi as its candidate from Guwahati seat in the 3rd phase of polling and extended support to alliance party candidates, namely Phani Bhusan Choudhury (Asom Gana Parishad) from Barpeta, Zabed Islam (AGP) from Dhubri and Jayanta Basumtary (United People’s Party Liberal) from Kokrajhar seat. Former BJP leader Mira Barthakur Goswami (now in Congress) will put an electoral challenge to the Guwahati nominee. 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, where Congress puts legislator Rakibul Hussain as its candidate in the western most constituency. The nomination of sitting Kokrajhar MP Naba Kr Sarania was cancelled, and now the UPPL nominee (a legislator) will primarily face electoral challenges from Garjan Mashhary (Congress) and Kampa Borgoyary (Bodoland People’s Front) in the Bodo dominated constituency.
In the last two phases, the saffron party put Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in Arunachal West and sitting MP Tapir Gao in Arunachal East constituency. In Tripura West seat, the ruling BJP fielded former State chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb and in Tripura East it supported Tipra Motha candidate Kriti Singh Devbarma. Similarly, it put Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh as candidate in Inner Manipur seat and supported Kachui Timothy Zimik (Naga People’s Front) in Outer Manipur constituency. In Sikkim, the party fielded Dinesh Chandra Nepal as its candidate, whereas it supported both candidates of ruling National People’s Party namely Ampareen Lyngdoh from Shillong and sitting MP Agatha Sangma from Tura. In Nagaland, the saffron party has supported Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party nominee Chumben Murry.
It’s expected that the voters of Assam in the 3rd phase on May 7 will maintain the polling percentage as well. Many observers argue that the common citizens of Bharat have lost interest and faith in the electoral process, which is reflected in the national average of voter turnout. However, the electorates of our region have put the statistics far ahead of the all India average. Even though our common voters talked less about the elections in public places, they have arrived at polling booths on time to exercise their franchise with all sincerity. Kudos to everyone!
