The Guwahati Press Club elections are underway at the Guwahati Press Club (GPC) on Thursday.
The election to elect a new committee is being held after a long gap of 17 long years.
Polling began at 8 am while the counting of votes will begin from 5 pm onwards.
The election of a different kind has caught the imagination of people in Guwahati.
It witnessed intense campaign, using traditional outreach methods like banners, posters, festoons and the new age mediums like social media bulk messages, WhatsApp broadcasts and audio-visuals (AVs) and not to forget door-to-door visits campaigns.
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Moreover, this campaign is unique as it is the first time anywhere that a press club could not organize its elections or even its annual general body meeting for such a long period.
This election is considered integral to the Guwahati Press Club as the press club as a space for interaction, recreation and skill development of journalist was diminishing, thus this election was a long due.
816 members of the GPC form the electorate, who will decide the fate of 36 candidates, including eight women for 10 posts, where two spots are reserved for women.
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The decision for the elections after 17 years was taken after a group of young journalists collected the signatures of 76 members asking for elections.
The annual general body meeting was held and the previous committee that was at the helm of affairs was dissolved.
All the candidates have been doing extensive campaigning and many have been seen going door-to-door, seeking votes.
A host of issues will be discussed this time — such as the problems journalists face while covering issues, and workspace problems.
The seriousness of the elections lies in the fact that all the candidates have come forward on how they will address the day-to-day problems working journalists face while covering stories to even workspace issues.
If someone is talking about free medical insurance and health cards for the journalist, someone else is promising better reaction activities; skill development of young journalists and others has focused on lack of a permanent space for the media fraternity.
Now, the election has become the talk of the town, and all eyes are on the results of the elections that are being held after 17 long years.
Excitement has truly reached at its zenith.