Election Commission team begins Assam tour; set to meet party leaders, agencies ahead of assembly polls

Guwahati: A team of the Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar reached Guwahati on Monday for a three-day-long visit in order to take stock of the preparedness for the ensuing assembly elections. Elections for the 126-member Assam assembly are likely in April.

Anurag Goel, the Chief Electoral Officer, Assam, received the team, which includes Election Commissioners S. S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, Senior Deputy Election Commissioners Maneesh Garg and Pawan Kumar Sharma, Director General Ashish Goyal, advisor N. N. Butolia and Director Vidyarani Kanthoujam, among other senior officials.

On Tuesday, the EC team will meet representatives of political parties in a hotel in Guwahati followed by meeting with police and election officers-cum-district magistrates. On February 18, the team will hold discussions with Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, officers of central forces and other enforcement agencies before addressing a press conference at 3 pm.

The electoral battle

The assembly elections are likely to be a three-cornered contest among the ruling BJP and its allies, Congress and its allies and the Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF. The BJP is likely to contest with Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland People's Front and United People's Party Liberal in pre-poll alliance.

The Congress is also having discussions with the left parties and two regional forces, Asom Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal led by Akhil Gogoi, an MLA. The Congress, however, this time decided to have no alliance with AIUDF.

BJP has set the target to retain power for the third term while the Congress-led opposition alliance seeks to dislodge the saffron party and its allies.