In Assam polling  for the second phase of elections has gegun today  in 64 Assembly segments.  An electorate of 96,77,113, comprising 50,09,083 men and 46,68,030 women will decide the fate of 596 candidates.

  The constituencies are located in 14 districts of Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Barpeta, Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup (Rural), Nalbari, Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri, Darrang, Morigaon and Nagaon.

An electorate of 96,77,113, comprising 50,09,083 men and 46,68,030 women will decide the fate of 596 candidates — 449 men and 47 women.

Of 12,589 polling stations, 2033 have been identified as hyper-sensitive, 4175 as sensitive and 475 as vulnerable, election commission sources said.

Altogether 345 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed for the polls.

About 65 to 75 per cent of polling stations will be covered by the central paramilitary forces and the rest by police, the sources said.

Arrangement have also been made for micro-observers.

Prominent candidates in the fray are Revenue Minister Bhumidhar Barman from Borkhetry, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Jalukbari, Tourism and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain from Samaguri, Education Minister Gautam Bora from Batadraba, Social Welfare Minister Akon Bora from Dispur.

Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, AGP President Chandramohan Patowary, former Speaker Pulakesh Barua, former AGP ministers Thaneswar Boro, Rekha Rani Das Barua, Atul Bora and Girin Barua along with all eleven sitting MLAs of BPF are also in the fray.

The star campaigners for Congress were Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Union Minister for Minority Development Salman Khurshid and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

BJP heavyweight campaigners include Former Deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, former party President, Rajnath Singh besides firebrand MP, Varun Gandhi.

AGP’s campaign was undertaken by party President Chandramohan Patowary and former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

During campaigning, Congress highlighted the development of the state in the past ten years, peace talks with ULFA and “misrule” of AGP regime.

BJP and AGP harped mostly on corruption issues, particularly the multi-crore scam in North Cachar Hills, “failure” of Congress to end foreigners’ influx, recurring floods and “neglect” of the weaker sections.

The campaign was peaceful barring a few incidents of violence in four Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts by the Ranjan Daimary led anti-talk NDFB faction.