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At least three Asom Gana Parishad leaders were shot dead in two separate incidents on Tuesday night in Assam.
According to official sources, Dhrama Kanta Roy, a local AGP leader of Abhoyapuri in lower Assam's Bongaigaon district was shot dead by suspected United Liberation Front of Asom militants in front of his house.
A group of militants came to his house and called him out before firing at him from close range.
Suspected ULFA militants also killed two AGP workers in Manikpur in the same district. Details are awaited.
Meanwhile, Assam's Director General of Police H K Deka has said that police and security forces are gearing up to thwart any move by the insurgent outfits and unscrupulous elements to create disturbance during the poll process.
In an interview to the Assam Tribune, the region's leading daily, the DGP said that regular meetings are being held between the police and security forces to ensure a violence-free atmosphere during the elections.
He said that the army would not be used on poll duty but it would continue with counter-insurgency operations, which, in turn, would help in preventing any attempt by the ultras to create disturbances during the polls.
Deka revealed that according to information available with the police, the ULFA and National Democratic Front of Bodoland were planning to create trouble during the poll process.
The militants are planning to target candidates and leaders of political parties, particularly those of the ruling party, he added.
When asked whether the police would impose restriction on the night movement of vulnerable persons during the poll process, he said, "Instead of imposing restrictions, we would like to create a situation where everyone is free to move around freely."
He said that according available reports, a few groups of ULFA men have already sneaked into the state from their bases in Bhutan, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for the purpose and security forces are gearing up to foil the designs of the militants.
He said that all out efforts were being made to seal the Assam-Bhutan border to prevent the militants from sneaking into Assam.
However, he admitted that guarding every inch of the border was not feasible.
He said that efforts were also being made by unscrupulous persons to create communal disharmony. Sensitive polling stations had been identified and special security arrangements would be made in those stations, he added.
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