A First Information Report has been registered against Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for violating sections of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) on Monday as the second and final stage of elections in the State came to an end.
Briefing newspersons here, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said the Chief Minister had held a press conference on Monday, which was within 48 hours of the close of polls, and therefore a violation of Section 126 of the RPA. The punishment for the violation can be imprisonment for a maximum of two years and a fine or both, Saxena added.
The official said there were also allegations that BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had violated the RPA, but after investigation this was found to be incorrect.
In Assam, at least one person succumbed to injuries during a clash on Monday but it remains unclear as to whether the death was due to a lathi charge by the Central Reserve Police Force or the melee that followed, officials said. Apart from these two incidents, the second phase of polling for 61 Assembly constituencies in Assam and 31 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal was without “violence, clash or injury within the polling stations in the two states,” Election Commission officials said.
Assam reported a voter turnout of 82.02 per cent till 5 pm on Monday, surpassing the 80.21 per cent recorded in the same 61 constituencies during the 2014 Parliamentary elections.
During the last Assembly elections in 2011, the 61 constituencies had recorded a voter turnout of 76.05 per cent.
West Bengal reported a voter turnout of 79.51 per cent in the 31 constituencies that went to polls today with officials indicating it “is likely to change”. West Bengal has seven phase elections, the second phase of which was held today.
In West Bengal, over 69.90 lakh voters were eligible to vote today. There were 163 candidates in the fray and all the constituencies in the second phase had multi-cornered contests.