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Assam prepares for poll amidst fear of insurgency

Elephants, country boats and bullock-carts along with thousands of vehicles on Friday left Guwahati, the district headquarters of Assam, for polling stations far and wide amidst fear of violence by insurgents.

Election Commission officials said poll materials had started moving since 0800 hours. Some parties, especially near the Garo hills of Kamrup district, left early morning. They were expected to reach their stations only late in the evening. Most of the hilly, tough-to-reach stations are in the Kamrup district bordering Meghalaya.

According to D N Saikia, returning officer in Kamrup, parties would reach Bong Beng station to conduct polling for the 589 voters of Upper Lampi, Maulan and Jabchang Nagar areas. They would have to walk 30 km through hilly jungle tracks to reach this point.

The parties would use elephants to reach the Namtarabari polling station under Boko assembly segment and Bandagog and Barkacharang under the Dispur segment. A large number of booths would be reached through country boats.

UNI

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