Guwahati: BJP leader and Assam Excise, Forests and Environment and Fisheries Minister Parimal Suklabaidya cast his vote at a polling station in Dholai, Silchar during the second phase of Assembly elections in Assam on Thursday.
Taking to his Twitter Suklabaidya wrote, “Exercised my highest fundamental & democratic right today towards the development of the state & the continuing good governance. Urge you all to turn out in your respective polling booths in highest numbers to cast your votes.”
Exercised my highest fundamental & democratic right today towards the development of the state & the continuing good governance.
Urge you all to turn out in your respective polling booths in highest numbers to cast your votes. pic.twitter.com/qth9hUWIEs— Parimal Suklabaidya (@ParimalSuklaba1) April 1, 2021
Parimal Suklabaidya is contesting from Dholai for the 7th time on a BJP ticket. He has been elected as an MLA in 1991, 2001, 2006, and 2016. In the previous election, he wrested the seat from Congress that had fielded Girindra Mallik. While Mallik had trounced Suklabaidya in the 2011 polls by 14,370 votes, 2016 witnessed the BJP candidate defeating him by a huge margin of 26,837 votes.
Assam recorded a voter turnout of 22.85 per cent till 11:20 am across 39 constituencies, as per data provided by the Election Commission of India.
The election in the second phase includes 15 assembly seats in the Barak Valley. In the 2016 polls, BJP had bagged eight seats – six from Cachar district and two from bordering Karimganj district, which shares a boundary with Bangladesh.
A total of 345 candidates in 39 constituencies across 13 districts are in the fray.
Polling for the third and last phase will be held on April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
