Around 17.87 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first two hours of polling in Assam on Thursday, according to officials. Voting began at 7 am across the state’s 126 Assembly constituencies, with nearly 2.5 crore eligible voters. Polling was largely peaceful in the early hours. The election is being closely watched as the BJP-led NDA seeks a third straight term, while the Congress-led opposition is attempting to return to power after ten years. Kamrup Metropolitan district, which includes Guwahati, recorded a turnout of 15.56 per cent till 9 am. Among the constituencies in the district, Jalukbari registered the highest turnout at 16.37 per cent, followed by Dimoriya (16.29 per cent), Dispur (14.81 per cent), Guwahati Central (14.77 per cent) and New Guwahati (14.53 per cent). In total, 722 candidates are contesting in the elections.
