Guwahati, Apr 11: As the Assam Panchayat elections approach, scheduled in two phases on May 2 and May 7, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has launched an extensive campaign across the state. Preparations have been completed, and party workers are actively engaged in mobilizing support for NDA-backed candidates.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will address 27 public rallies, while BJP Assam Pradesh President Dilip Saikia is slated to hold over 50 campaign meetings. Other senior leaders from the NDA alliance are also expected to participate in the campaigning efforts, as stated in a party release.

To ensure success in the elections, Dilip Saikia has urged all party members to dedicate themselves to the campaign. State-level leaders have been deployed to Mandal and district levels to coordinate with alliance partners. Candidate selection has been finalized through consensus discussions.

Out of the 397 Zila Parishad constituencies, BJP has announced candidates for 318 seats, with 74 allotted to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and others to alliance partners. The remaining five candidates were announced today, including four women and one man, bringing the total number of women candidates to 176.

Seat-sharing for the 2,157 Anchalik Panchayat constituencies has also been completed after consultations at various levels.

In a press statement, Saikia emphasized the importance of sincere and respectful alliances, contrasting it with the opposition, which he accused of creating confusion in the name of alliance politics.

The Assam State Election Commission has confirmed that polling will take place on May 2 in 14 districts and on May 7 in the remaining 13 districts. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 11.

Over 1.80 crore voters, including 90.71 lakh male voters, 89.65 lakh female voters, and 408 voters from other categories, are expected to cast their votes at 25,007 polling stations across the state.