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Assam's AGP not happy with poll dates

Assam's regional party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Wednesday expressed unhappiness at the Lok Sabha poll dates announced by the Election Commission, while other parties welcomed the schedule.

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Assam's regional party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Wednesday expressed unhappiness at the Lok Sabha poll dates announced by the Election Commission, while other parties welcomed the schedule.

Elections to the 14 Lok Sabha seats from the state will be held in three phases.

AGP spokesman Manoj Saikia said the poll dates will affect the Rongali Bihu, the major festival of the state.

"The Rongali Bihu is like a month-long festival and it starts from April 14. As six constituencies will go to polls April 24, the Bihu festivities will be affected in those areas," he said.

"The Election Commission should have taken into consideration the sentiments of the people of Assam which is attached to Bihu," Said Saikia and added that their party is, however, ready to face the polls.

Five Lok Sabha constituencies - Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh - will go to polls April 7; three constituencies - Karimganj, Silchar and Diphu - April 12; and the six constituencies - Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Guwahati, Mangaldai and Nagaon - in the last phase on April 24.

State Congress spokesman Mehdi Alam Bora, however, expressed happiness over the dates.

"Bihu starts from April 14 and elections to five constituencies would be over April 7. The third phase will be held April 24 and the rest six constituencies will go to vote after Bihu," he said.

Bora, however, said Bihu festivities will be affected in Diphu constituency, which will go to vote April 12.

"Karimganj and Silchar will also go to polls April 12 but there is not much festivities in the Barak Valley and so it would not affect the people there," he added.

State BJP spokesman Rupam Goswami also expressed happiness over the dates.

"As the elections will be held in the middle of Bihu festival, there would not be a law and order problem and the elections are likely to be peaceful," Goswami said.

Aminul Islam, spokesman of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), said: "We have a strong presence in all six constituencies which would go to polls April 24. So we are going to get more time to prepare and contest the polls in a better way."

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