Assam - The Purbottar

19 Feb

Assam to start first-level verification of EVMs, VVPATs in Tamulpur district on Feb 21

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

In view of the upcoming Assam Legislative Assembly elections, the First-Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units under lower Assam’s Tamulpur district will be conducted in accordance with the directives of the Election Commission of India from February 21 to 24. The FLC process will be conducted at Tamulpur Higher Secondary School from 9am to7pm each day. During the period, the EVMs and VVPATs will undergo physical verification, cleaning, deletion of old data, functionality testing, and mock poll exercises. Engineers deputed from Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad, will conduct…

19 Feb

Amit Shah to launch Vibrant Villages Prog–II in Assam tomorrow

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will launch the Vibrant Villages Programme–II (VVP–II) in Assam tomorrow, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to strengthen border villages and promote inclusive development in border areas. The programme will be formally launched at Nathanpur village in Cachar district on Friday. Vibrant Villages Programme–II is designed to ensure comprehensive and sustainable development of border villages through a saturation-based and convergence-driven approach. It focuses on improving essential infrastructure, enhancing access to basic services, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, thereby fostering secure, resilient and prosperous border communities in alignment with the…

19 Feb

Relief for Hasila Beel evicted families as HC steps in, seeks basic amenities from state

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

The Gauhati High Court has issued a directive to the Assam government to ensure that evicted families from Hasila Beel in Goalpara district receive essential services such as ration, medical assistance, drinking water, and sanitation facilities while they reside in makeshift camps. This action follows a writ petition filed by sixty petitioners, who argue that the evictions that occurred on June 16, 17, and 18 were unlawful and contrary to Supreme Court judgments. As a result of the eviction, 566 families, including children, have taken refuge on privately-owned land and have lived in destitution for over eight months, lacking access…

19 Feb

Priyanka Gandhi to Offer Prayers at Kamakhya Temple, Hold Key Election Strategy Talks in Guwahati

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will arrive in Assam today for a two-day visit as the party begins the crucial process of selecting candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. She is the Chairperson of the Congress Screening Committee and a Member of Parliament from Wayanad. According to party leaders, she will begin her visit by offering prayers at the Kamakhya Temple. She will then proceed to Rajiv Bhawan, the State Congress headquarters in Guwahati. Screening-related meetings are scheduled from 11 a.m. and are expected to continue till late in the evening. The visit was formally announced at a press conference…

19 Feb

Himanta Biswa Sarma Says BJP Has Finalised Assam Rajya Sabha Candidates as Debabrata Saikia Denies Defection Buzz

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

The Election Commission of India on February 18 announced that biennial elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states will be held on March 16. Assam is among the states where three seats will fall vacant. While the poll schedule was widely expected, the political developments that followed have drawn sharp attention in Guwahati.Within hours of the announcement, speculation began circulating in political circles that senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia could be looking at a Rajya Sabha berth. There were claims that such a move might come with the backing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata…

19 Feb

Amit Shah will travel to Silchar for a three-day trip to Assam

Banasree SarkarAssam

Only a few weeks remain until the Assembly elections, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Silchar tonight for a three-day trip to Assam. According to officials, he will spend the night in Silchar, in the Cachar district, before going to the BSF's Natunpur border outpost on the India-Bangladesh border on February 20 to assess the security situation. The forward post visit coincides with increased attention being paid to border security in the run-up to the elections. The Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), a Central initiative to improve lives and fortify infrastructure in border areas, will be introduced by…

19 Feb

Assam Has Identified 1.7 Lakh Illegal Migrants Over Nearly Four Decades, Minister Says

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

In Assam, over 170,000 illegal foreigners have been identified since the enforcement of the Assam Accord in 1985, as reported by the state's Accord Implementation Minister, Atul Bora, in the State Assembly. He revealed that approximately 31,000 individuals have been repatriated since the Accord's inception. In the last year alone, 1,421 illegal immigrants were expelled under directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and an additional 52 individuals were removed in accordance with the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act of 1950. Bora detailed that out of the identified immigrants, 137,152 had entered Assam after March 25, 1971, while another 33,485…

19 Feb

Assam Rajya Sabha Polls: BJP Close to Finalising Candidates for Three Seats, Says Himanta

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday that the ruling BJP party plans to contest all three Rajya Sabha seats in Assam. He stated that candidates for these seats are nearly finalised, as confirmed to the media. The Election Commission of India has scheduled the biennial Rajya Sabha elections for March 16, which will span across 10 states, including Assam. This election will fill the seats that are becoming vacant due to the terms of incumbent members Rameswar Teli, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Ajit Kumar Bhuyan expiring. Sarma expressed confidence in the BJP's ability to achieve a clean sweep…

18 Feb

Assam Congress Intensifies Candidate Screening as Political War of Words Escalates Over Bhupen Bora’s Exit

Paromita EditorAssam

Addressing the media, Gaurav Gogoi, President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, said the screening process for candidates is being expedited and, after consultations with the central leadership, the first phase of the Congress candidates’ list is likely by the end of February. He asserted that the Congress is ahead in election preparations and confirmed that alliances with like-minded opposition parties are certain, claiming that parties aligning with Congress grow stronger while those aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party weaken, citing Asom Gana Parishad and United People's Party Liberal as examples. Responding to speculation about Bhupen Bora joining the BJP,…

18 Feb

ECI Rviews Assam Poll Preparedness During 2-Day Visit

Paromita EditorAssam

Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday said the primary objective of the Special Revision of electoral rolls in Assam was to “ensure inclusion of all eligible voters and exclusion of all ineligible electors in the final electoral rolls.A total of 2,49,58,139 voters are included in the final voter list for Special Revision (SR) 2026, representing a 0.97 percent decrease compared to the draft voter list.Addressing mediapersons here, the CEC said that the fact that there have only about 500 appeals across all districts, meant that the SR process, which began in mid-November has been done in…