Assam's Panchayat Polls Witness Early Turnout Surge

The second phase of Assam's panchayat elections began with a voter turnout of 9.7% in the initial hours, officials confirmed. Thirteen districts, including Dhubri and Darrang, saw early voter participation as polling commenced at 7.30 am.

With over 91 million eligible voters, including nearly 45 million women, the phase witnesses a fervent electoral battle among 29,608 candidates. Notably, Darrang district led with a 13% turnout, whereas Nagaon recorded the lowest at 4.34%.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged voters via social media to partake in the electoral process, describing it as a 'festival of democracy.' The voting is scheduled to continue until 4.30 pm.

(With inputs from agencies.)