Polling underway in Assam and Puducherry; turnout around 17 per cent

NEW DELHI: Apart from Kerala, elections are being held in Assam and Puducherry today. Polling began at 7 am. Voting is being held for 126 assembly constituencies in Assam. There are about 2.5 crore voters in the state, including 1.25 crore women. Voting is being held in 31,490 polling booths across the state. Voting is being held for 30 assembly seats in Puducherry. So far, 17.87 per cent of the polling has been recorded in Assam and 17.41 per cent in Puducherry.

722 candidates are contesting in Assam. The ruling BJP is seeking a third consecutive term in power. The Congress is trying hard to regain power after its humiliating defeat in 2016. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal are among the prominent contenders in the fray.

In Puducherry, the fight is between the AINRC-BJP alliance led by Chief Minister M Rangaswamy and the Congress-DMK alliance. Actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is also a crucial force in the contest.