The Road To Polls

This time around, the criteria for candidates may become an added advantage for change in Assam.

- Manjum Mahanta

The stage is set for the 2018 Panchayat Elections in Assam. Most parties are focusing on the grassroots level, however ruling party BJP seem quite confident of their victory in the same. Dates for the Assam Panchayat Polls, declared by the State Election Commission, are 5th and 9th of December. In the interest of smooth conduct of elections, the State Election Commission has requested all schools, colleges and university authorities to schedule examinations to be held in the month of December, after December 15, 2018. These polls can be regarded as a test of the grassroots level strength ahead of the 2019 general elections for all the political parties in Assam.

The polls have been scheduled in two phases in 26 districts and 14 civil sub-divisions. The counting will take place on December 12. A total of 1, 56, 41,456 voters will exercise their right to vote, out of which 8,12,38,35 are male and 7,51,76,21 are female voters. A total of 23,505 polling stations have been set up.

Decrease in Nominations Filed

As many as 44,731 nomination papers have been filed for the Phase I of the Panchayat poll slated to be held on December 5, 2018 in the State. While 881 nominations have been filed against 251 zila parishad constituencies (ZPCs), 3,935 nominations have been filed against 1,304 AP (Anchalik Panchayats) members and 4,492 nominations against 1,304 GP (Gram Panchayats) presidents and 35,423 nominations filed against 13,040 GP members.

The number of nomination papers filed for Phase I is less than what it was in the last Panchayat poll, according to the commission. The State Election Commissioner, H. N. Bora, said, ‘The number of candidates contesting the 2018 Panchayat polls in Assam has decreased this time with around three candidates less against each seat.’