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G Vinayak in Guwahati
Sporadic incidents of violence, arson and intimidation were reported from different parts of Assam even as about 28 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 11 am on Thursday morning, state election department officials said.
Two persons sustained bullet injuries when miscreants fired at voters at a polling station in Fakiragram under Kokrajhar West constituency around 9 am. The injured, Subroto Roy and Nana Singh, have been shifted to a hospital.
Police said unidentified extremists tried to obstruct voters from going to a polling station at Fakiragram. The agitated crowd retaliated by pelting stones at the rebels who opened fire at the mob.
Miscreants indulged in largescale snatching of ballot papers and boxes in Hailakandi, leading to suspension of polling in three centres, reports reaching Guwahati said.
Elsewhere in Barama, a jeep was burnt down by some unidentified people around 10 am. Rekha Rani Das Boro, a minister in the Prafulla Kumar Mahanta ministry, is seeking re-election from this seat.
Barama is part of the insurgency-infested Nalbari district, bordering Bhutan from where militants of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom operate. Voting has not been affected though.
In neighbouring Bhabanipur constituency, a polling booth was attacked by unidentified militants and ballot boxes were taken away. Fresh ballot boxes have been sent to the polling booth, election department's control room in Guwahati said.
In Western Assam's Goalpara district voting had to be suspended for about 40 minutes following a clash between supporters of the ruling Asom Gana Parishad and the Nationalist Congress Party.
In Guwahati, Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, former home minister and now Mahanta's bitter enemy Bhrigu Kumar Phukan, senior ministers Biraj Kumar Sarma and Ramen Kalita cast their votes.
Polling in remote areas is expected to touch 40 per cent by noon, polling officials said.
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