The Election Commission reported a strong voter turnout of 72.83% by 5 pm in Assam’s by-elections, where five constituencies—Dholai (SC), Sidli (ST), Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri—went to the polls on Wednesday.

The by-elections were necessitated after previous representatives vacated these seats following their success in recent Lok Sabha elections.

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Polling began at 7 am, with over 9,000 polling staff facilitating the process across 1,078 centers for over nine lakh registered voters.

Among the key contests, Samaguri has drawn significant attention with the candidacy of Tanzel Hussain, son of Congress leader Rockybul Hussain, whose recent Lok Sabha victory in Dhubri highlighted Congress’s influence among Assam’s minority communities.

In Bongaigaon, Diptimohan Choudhury of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a BJP ally, seeks to continue the political legacy of her husband, AGP MP Phani Bhushan Choudhury, focusing her campaign on local development while facing challenges from candidates appealing to shifting national political currents.