As the Assembly election gets underway, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday urged the people of Assam, to vote in large numbers.
“I appeal to the people of Assam, especially the youth and my sisters, to go to the polling booths today and vote in large numbers…Vote for progress and golden future of Assam,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
The Congress party claimed that Assam is voting for the party.
“Assam is voting to protect its culture & traditions, Assam is voting to secure its basic rights, Assam is voting to true development, Assam is voting for Congress,” Congress said in a tweet.
In Assam, the party pushed Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi besides banking on the strength of its alliance with Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF and the Bodo People’s Front (BPF).
Priyanka made a strong pitch for the Congress candidates in Assam to wrest back the state from the ruling BJP.
The Gandhi scion had visited the state twice and spent four days before the election.
Priyanka had announced “five guarantees” to the people of Assam, including a law to nullify the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, if voted to power.
Besides the law that curbs the operation of the CAA, the other four guarantees included the generation of five lakh government jobs; raising tea workers’ daily wage to Rs 365; free electricity up to 200 units per household; and Rs 2,000 monthly income support to all housewives.
Voting began on Saturday morning at 7 am in 47 Assembly constituencies of Assam in the first phase of three-phase elections amid tight security and Covid-19 guidelines in place.
A total of 47 assembly segments in 12 upper and central Assam districts are voting in the first phase.
In the first phase 81, 09,815 voters will decide the electoral fate of over 264 candidates.
The first phase of the election witnessed a voter turnout of around three per cent till 8 pm on Saturday.