60.32% voter turnout till 3 pm in 5 LS seats of Assam

An estimated 60.32 per cent of 77,26,668 voters exercised their franchise till 3 pm in the five parliamentary constituencies of Assam, where polling is underway in the second phase on Friday, election officials said.

The highest polling of 64.43 per cent was recorded in Darrang-Udalguri, closely followed by 60.74 per cent in Diphu (ST), 60.56 per cent in Nagaon, 60.36 per cent in Karimganj and 53.06 per cent in Silchar, they said.

Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm.

The prominent candidates who exercised their franchise are Assam Minister for Excise, Transport and Fisheries Parimal Suklabaidya and his Congress rival Surya Kanta Sarkar in Silchar (SC), Congress candidate Joyram Engleng in Diphu (ST) and sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi in Nagaon.

Altogether 77,26,668 voters, including 38,61,559 women and 179 persons of third gender, are likely to exercise their franchise in 9,133 polling stations.

Sixty-one candidates are in the fray in this phase.