One person died and three were injured as locals clashed with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel near a polling station in Assam's Barpeta area. The second and last phase of assembly elections is underway in the state.
As many as 523 candidates are contesting from 61 constituencies in Assam, which has been ruled by the Congress for the last three terms.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh cast his vote from Dispur in the state. "Voters of Assam will reward Congress for good work it has done for people of the state in last 15 years, [sic]" Singh was quoted as saying by ANI. When told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the Congress has not done anything in the state, Singh said: "I don't want to criticise the prime minister. He knows what he says is not true."
The Congress is looking to hold on to power in the state, as it has done for 15 years, while the BJP-led coalition — which includes the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodo People's Front (BPF) — and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) are looking to oust the party.
The AIUDF has, however, indicated there is a possibility of an alliance with the Congress after the elections.
"We are anti-Congress and anti-BJP. Therefore, there is no question of going along with the BJP. However, we believe that the Congress is a secular party. We will see after the elections what happens. But we cannot go directly with the Congress? We do not have any hopes from them," AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal told ANI Monday after casting his vote in Hojai. He also told ANI the AGP and the BPF could join whoever forms government.
