A jawan keeps vigil outside a strong room in Lakhimpur on Tuesday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, April 5: Election authorities in Assam are more worried about the second phase of polls on April 11 than the first phase, which passed off peacefully on Monday with a 73.04 per cent voter turnout.

“I am more concerned about the second phase of polls, especially in the Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts, on the border with Bhutan,” chief electoral officer of Assam Hemanta Narzary told reporters here today.

He said more paramilitary forces — about 500 companies — would be deployed in the second phase. Altogether 64 constituencies will go to the polls in the second phase. Of this, 12 are in the BTAD areas.

The worry is not without reason. Suspected rebels of the Ranjan Daimary faction of the NDFB had attacked Sashastra Seema Bal jawans between Lalbita and Pepsu areas, bordering Bhutan, in Kokrajhar district yesterday. Two jawans were killed and two injured in the attack.

On March 14, eight BSF personnel were killed and eight injured in an ambush by militants at Ultapani reserve forest, bordering Bhutan, in Kokrajhar. The NDFB claimed responsibility for the attack.

“We cannot be complacent under any circumstance for the second phase of polls. There is apprehension that violence might take place during the second and final phase of the Assembly poll as it will be held in the Bodo belt and lower Assam areas where the Paresh Barua faction of Ulfa and the NDFB (Daimary) are active,” a police official said.

Briefing reporters on the first phase of the polls, Narzary said they had requested the Election Commission to hold a repoll in three polling stations of Barak valley. The Election Commission will take the final decision by tomorrow after getting the observer reports. The repoll dates will be announced later.

Giving reasons for the repoll request, Narzary said there was a clash between polling agents of two political parties at Manikpur LP school polling station in Barkhola seat in Hailakandi district, following which the presiding officer had to stop the polls.

At Shri Durgapur LP school polling station in Karimganj South constituency, there was some problem in the functioning of the electronic voting machine.

At Ishwar Chandra Mahendra high school polling station in Algapur area in Karimganj, there was irregular maintenance of form 17A.

“Action will be taken against presiding officers of polling stations where malfunctioning of EVMs and irregular maintenance of form 17A has been reported,” Narzary said.

The highest poll percentage in the first phase was recorded in Lakhimpur (79.67) and the lowest in Dima Hasao (55.04), he added.

He said there was no voter turnout in 40 polling stations because of various reasons. In a polling station in Margherita, only one vote was cast of four votes.

In some places, polling parties found it difficult to reach the places because of rain.

Narzary said postal ballots were given to those staying in designated camps.