Assam is gearing up for the second phase of the three-phased assembly elections on April 1.
A total of 345 contestants, including ministers and Assam's deputy speaker, are in the fray for 39 constituencies that will be going to polls on that day.
The first phase of Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly was held on March 27 and saw a voter turnout of 79 per cent with senior BJP leader Amit Shah claiming that the saffron party would win 37 of the 47 seats.
The following 39 districts will be going to polls on April 1:
| Ratabari (SC) | Lumding | Hojai | Jamunamukh | Barhampur |
| Nowgong | Raha (SC) | Laharighat | Marigaon | Jagiroad (SC) |
| Dalgaon | Mangaldoi (SC) | Sipajhar | Kalaigaon Darrang | Majbat |
| Udalguri (ST) | Panery (ST) | Nalbari | Rangiya | Kamalpur |
| Baithalangso (ST) | Diphu (ST) | Howraghat (ST) | Bokajan (ST) | Haflong (ST) |
| Dholai (SC) | Katigorah | Barkhola | Lakhipur | Udharbond |
| Katlicherra | Sonai | Silchar | Karimganj South | Algapur |
| Patherkandi | Hailakandi | Karimganj North | Badarpur |
|
Prominent faces in the fray
Prominent candidates from the BJP include Ministers Parimal Suklabaidya (Dholai), Bhabesh Kalita (Rangia), Pijush Hazarika (Jagiroad) and Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar (Sonai).
Former Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul, who resigned from the BJP after he was denied a ticket, is contesting as an Independent from Silchar.
The BJP had expelled Paul and 14 other leaders from the party for six years with immediate effect for "anti-party activities".
Former Congress Minister Gautam Roy who joined the saffron party is contesting from Katigorah on a BJP ticket while his son Rahul Roy and daughter-in-law Daisy Roy are fighting as Independents from Udharbond and Algapur respectively.
Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary (Panery) and former Asam Sahitya Sabha President Paramananda Rajbongshi (Sipajhar) are contesting as BJP candidates and BPF Minister Rihon Daimary (Udalguri) are also in the fray for the second phase.
Phase 2 in numbers
Eleven per cent or 37 of the 345 candidates contesting in the second phase of the Assam assembly elections have declared criminal cases against themselves, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms. 30 (9 per cent) candidates have serious criminal cases against themselves.
Out of the 345 candidates, 73 (21 per cent) are crorepatis.
Phase 2 will see only 26 women candidates contesting to enter the Assam assembly.
The third phase will be held on April 6 and the results will be announced on May 2.
(With inputs from PTI)
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks