GUWAHATI: Muslim voters are likely to emerge as ‘kingmaker’ in four out of five constituencies of Assam that go to polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.
Five key constituencies in Assam are set to go to polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday (April 26).
The five constituencies in Assam that go to polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday (April 26) are: Nagaon, Karimganj, Silchar, Diphu and Darrang-Udalguri.
Muslim voters are anticipated to play a significant role in elections to four out of the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam that go to polls in the second phase.
With the exception of Diphu, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes, the remaining constituencies boast considerable Bengali-speaking Muslim communities.
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Additionally, Silchar and Karimganj seats also have a significant number of Bengali Hindu voters.
Karimganj boasts the highest proportion of Muslim voters, constituting over 55.7% of the electorate, while Silchar has a comparatively lower proportion at less than 40%.
In Nagaon, approximately 58% of voters are Muslim, whereas in Darrang-Udalguri, the figure stands at about 40%.
Notably, several assembly segments with Muslim-majority demographics, previously part of the erstwhile Kaliabor (now Kaziranga) parliamentary constituency, have been incorporated into the Nagaon seat following last year’s delimitation exercise.
This change has significantly augmented the Muslim voter base in the Nagaon constituency of Assam.
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As many as 61 candidates are competing in the second phase of voting for Lok Sabha elections across the five constituencies in Assam.
While, Karimganj Lok Sabha constituency has the highest number of candidates (24), Diphu has the least number of candidates (5).
Voting process for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections will begin at 7 in the morning and will conclude at 5 pm of Friday (April 26).
Meanwhile, a total of 1210 candidates are contesting across 88 parliamentary constituencies in 13 states and union territories in India during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.