Cast vote against 'divisive forces' to strengthen democracy: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged voters on Saturday to cast their ballots against "divisive forces" to strengthen democracy as polling began for the first phase of the Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been campaigning for the Assam polls, urged people to vote for progress and the golden future of the state.
Priyanka urged women and youngsters to vote
In a Facebook post in Hindi, Priyanka urged the people of Assam, especially youngsters and women, to vote in large numbers. "Do cast your ballot against divisive forces to strengthen democracy," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
Here is Rahul Gandhi's tweet
Bengal State Assembly polls will be held in eight phases
In Bengal, the polling is underway for 30 Assembly seats. The Congress is contesting the West Bengal polls in a coalition with the Left parties and the Indian Secular Front (ISF). Elections to the 294-member state Assembly are to be held in eight phases starting Saturday, with the final round of voting scheduled to take place on April 29.
Over 73 lakh voters across five districts are voting today
Two years ago, during the Lok Sabha elections, BJP had bested TMC in 20 of the 30 Assembly segments which are voting today. It had a vote share of more than 46%. In 2016, TMC swept these seats, winning 26 out of 30. Today, over 73 lakh voters, spread across five districts (including entire Purulia and Jhargram) will get inked at nearly 10,200 booths.
Polls being held today for 47 seats in Assam
Meanwhile, the Congress-led Mahajot alliance is seeking to wrest power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, which is voting in three phases starting today. Voters in 47 seats of Assam would choose their preferred candidate. The counting of votes for both states as well as for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry Assembly polls will be taken up on May 2.
Titabor, a key seat in Assam, also polling today
One of the key Assam seats voting today is Titabor. This seat was held by late Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi for four straight terms. Bhaskar Jyoti Barua from Congress and BJP's Hemanta Kalita are locking horns for this seat.
