Doomdooma: Despite heavy overnight rain, voters, including women and first-time electors, queued up early on Thursday at Polling Station 83 in the Beesakopie Division Labour Club, located within one of Asia’s largest tea estates in Assam’s Tinsukia district.
Polling began at 7 a.m., with security personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Police maintaining strict vigil at the entrance of the labour club in the sprawling Beesakopie Tea Estate in Doomdooma.
Dukhni Tanti, waiting in line, said her family’s priorities were clear. “We need a government that creates more jobs for our children, controls rising prices and ensures higher daily wages. These are the biggest challenges in our state,” she said.
Her husband, Nimson Tanti (52), a retired Army jawan who served in Sri Lanka’s peace missions, said development remained a key concern. “How long must Assam remain underdeveloped? We want a government that develops the state in every aspect and builds a strong Assam,” he said.
First-time voter Prakash Tanti said employment and stability were his main concerns. “I am voting for jobs and a peaceful environment where we can work and live without fear,” he said.
Beesakopie Tea Estate, known for its large factory and sizeable tea-tribe workforce, reflects broader concerns across Assam’s tea garden belts. With nearly seven million tea-tribe voters spread across about 35 Assembly constituencies, issues such as employment, wage revision, land rights and development have dominated the election discourse.
Polling for the Assam Assembly elections is being held in a single phase across all 126 constituencies, with counting scheduled for May 4.
Tinsukia district, with its concentration of tea estates as well as oil and coal resources, has witnessed intense campaigning centred on employment and economic growth.
As the morning progressed and weather conditions improved, polling officials reported a smooth start. Authorities expect a healthy turnout in tea garden-dominated areas.
The early scenes from Polling Station 83 reflect the concerns and expectations of voters in one of Assam’s key electoral regions.