Assam saw a high turnout of 78.06 percent of its 95,11,732 electorate in the first phase of the assembly polls held in 65 constituencies amidst tight security today.
The polling ended at 5 pm and there was no untoward incident reported from anywhere, EC sources sad.
Voting was conducted in 2,190 polling stations spread across upper Assam, two hill districts, northern bank of Brahmaputra and Barak Valley to determine the political destiny of 539 contestants, including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and union minister and BJP chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal.
People queued up before the polling booths since morning where CCTV cameras were put up and web-casting facilities provided to ensure free and fair election.
Many polling booths wore a festive look as they were decorated with festoons and buntings of various colours and balloons. Some booths were decorated with earthen urns with smiling faces painted on them to urge voters to participate in the democratic process.
There were model polling centres, including all women stations with facilities like rest room, wheel chair for physically challenged and aged besides medical teams.
Voters of Tezpur constituency for the first time experienced the Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system.
Nearly 100 EVMs were reported to have malfunctioned in some polling stations and were speedily replaced for voting to continue uninterrupted, officials said.
With over 48,000 persons manning the polling booths, 'intense' security measures were in place in the state and the Indo-Bangla border along Barak Valley's Karimganj district was sealed.
Altogether 535 companies of central security forces and state police were on duty in the 65 constituencies.
Besides Gogoi and Sonowal, Atul Bora, the working president of Asom Gana Parishad, which has allied with BJP, Speaker Pranab Gogoi, former union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar were in the fray for today's election.
BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, who is pitched against the chief minister, was another prominent contestant.
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