Guwahati: Around 30 people were injured and seven arrested in incidents of poll-related violence across Assam on Thursday, officials said, with clashes reported from multiple districts including Sribhumi, Dibrugarh, Tamulpur and Sivasagar.
According to police, trouble erupted at a polling booth in Rangamati under Patharkandi constituency in Sribhumi district after Congress candidate Kartik Sena Sinha allegedly entered the station and accused officials of allowing fake voters to cast ballots. When the presiding officer rejected the claim, Sinha allegedly damaged the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), triggering a clash between Congress and BJP supporters.
The altercation left around 25 people injured, two of them seriously, who were shifted to Karimganj Civil Hospital. Voting at the booth was suspended for nearly three hours and resumed only after the EVM was replaced. Police said Sinha left the spot and no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, with investigations ongoing. Sribhumi Senior Superintendent of Police Leena Doley visited the site to review the situation.
In a separate incident in Khowang constituency of Dibrugarh district, three leaders of the Assam Jatiya Parishad — Samudra Barua, Swakhyar Borgohain and Chitrakamal Handique — were injured in a clash with BJP supporters. The confrontation reportedly began after AJP workers alleged that the BJP was operating an IT cell from a local house. A heated exchange escalated into a physical fight, leaving the three leaders injured.
Dibrugarh Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Abhijit Dilip said the premises appeared to be a party office, and investigations were underway to determine the exact nature of activities there. No arrests have been made in this case so far.
Minor clashes were also reported from several polling booths across the state, mostly due to heavy crowds and disputes over queue-breaking. In some places, supporters of rival political parties engaged in scuffles, but police presence ensured quick control of the situations.
Violence was also reported on Wednesday night, ahead of polling. Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh said a clash between two groups in Tamulpur forced police to fire a few rounds in the air to disperse the mob, leading to the arrest of four people.
Bodoland Territorial Council Chief Executive Member Hagrama Mohilary said the situation in Tamulpur was now under control and a detailed inquiry would determine the cause of the clash.
In Sivasagar, some members of a political party were attacked, with three persons detained, Singh added. Meanwhile, Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi alleged that BJP candidate Kushal Dowari was behind the attack, claiming that two people were injured and vehicles were damaged in the incident.
With PTI inputs