Poll frenzy as candidates file papers

Guwahati: The state is in the grip of an election frenzy with thousands of supporters escorting their candidates to election offices for filing nomination by beating drums, cymbals and raising loud slogans on Friday - the last day for filing papers for the first phase of polls.

The high-profile candidates, including chief minister Tarun Gogoi, caught the attention of the people with their huge groups of followers. Some candidates used their imagination to make a mark on the minds of voters.

All eyes, however, were on Titabor from where Gogoi and his rival candidate from BJP Kamakhya Tasa, a Lok Sabha MP, filed their nomination papers.

Gogoi (79) said a majority of voters in the constituency, as well his rival BJP candidate, are of his son's age and his blessings are for all of them. The young Tasa was more aggressive as he accused Gogoi of not fulfilling 'raj dharma' in his constituency.

While Congress's PHE minister and Barak Valley strongman Gautam Roy, along with his wife, rode a cycle-rickshaw pulled by his son Rahul to the returning officer's office in Hailakandi to file his papers, tribal welfare minister Rajib Lochan Pegu and sitting MLA from Majuli went in a colourful procession of young boys and girls who performed sattriya dance.

Former CM and AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was more conspicuous due to the BJP scarf dangling from his neck. With Assamese actor Angurlata by his side, he walked to the returning officer's office to file his nomination from Bahrampur constituency. Mahanta is a joint candidate of the AGP-BJP alliance, while Anguralata is the BJP candidate from Batadraba constituency, known as the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva.

In upper Assam, two Congress stalwarts from the tea workers' community stole the limelight. While former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar filed his nomination from Moran, ex-assembly speaker Prithivi Majhi filed filed his papers from Lahowal in Dibrugarh district. In oil-rich Sivasagar, PCC president Anjan Dutta escorted his daughter, Angkita, to file her nomination for her debut election from Amguri. Assembly speaker and senior Congressman Pranab Kumar Gogoi filed his papers from Sivaasagar constituency.

Former AGP president Brindaban Goswami filed his papers for Tezpur seat as a joint AGP-BJP candidate.