World's largest poll exercise begins with very high voter turnout

Among the 51 candidates in the five Assam constituencies, which went to poll today, are union ministers Ranee Narah and Paban Singh Ghatowar, former union minister and sitting MLA Bijoy Krishna Handique, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's son Gourav Gogoi and Bhupen Kumar Bora of Congress.

Congress rebel and Independent candidate Moni Kumar Subba is also contesting.

For BJP, the contestants are its state unit president Sorbananda Sonowal and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and for AGP Arun Kumar Sarma, Pradip Hazarika and Joseph Toppo.  Seeking to bring more transparency and ensuring free and fair elections, the EC did live webcast in 20 polling stations in the first phase.

Congress is desperately seeking to better its performance of seven seats in 2009 in Assam to offset possible reverses in other states ruled by it and opinion polls also projected the state to be the only bright spot in an otherwise gloomy scenario.

Powered by high-octane campaigning by its PM candidate Narendra Modi, BJP too is trying to wrest the initiative from Congress in the state.

Elections in Tripura is crucial for CPI(M) as this is the only state the Left is in power after having been voted out in West Bengal and Kerala and facing marginalization at the national level struggling to find allies.