Voting for the crucial second phase of Assam Assembly elections has begun.

Voting began at 7am Thursday in as many as 39 constituencies spread across 13 districts of Assam.

Fate of as many as 345 candidates will be sealed on Thursday during the second phase of Assam Assembly elections.

Around 73.44 lakh people will exercise their franchise in the second phase of Assam Assembly elections.

Of the total 73.44 lakh voters – 37,34,537 are male voters and 36,09,959 are female voters, while 135 are third gender voters.

Voting that began at 7am will culminate at 6pm.

Over 42,300 polling personnel have already been deployed for the second phase of Assam Assembly elections.

Hojai constituency has the highest number of voters at 2,65,886.

Howraghat, reserved for Scheduled Tribes, has the lowest at 1,32,339.

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The second phase of Assam Assembly elections also include 15 seats in the State’s Barak Valley.

Voting are being held at 8,998 polling stations, of which 556 are all-women polling stations.

310 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and 90 companies of Assam Police have been deployed for the second phase of Assam Assembly elections.

While 25 constituencies will witness direct contest between the NDA and the Grand Alliance, the remaining seats will have a triangular contest.

3 Assam Ministers – Parimal Suklabaidya, Piyush Hazarika, and Bhabesh Kalita are in fray in the second phase of Assam Assembly elections.

Parimal Suklabaidya is contesting from the Dholai seat for the seventh time on a BJP ticket.

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Piyush Hazarika is contesting from Jagiroad and Bhabesh Kalita from the Rangia seat.

Assam Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar of the BJP is also in the fray in the second phase of Assam Assembly elections and is in a straight fight with AIUDF’s Karim Uddin Barbhuiyan for the Sonai seat.