LS polls: Assam govt requests EC to schedule voting before Bihu

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the state government has requested the Election Commission (EC) to schedule voting for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the state before the festival of Bihu which is celebrated in mid-April.

"The state government has already urged the EC to conclude the election in the state before the Bihu festival. In Assam, during the Bihu celebration, people get into a festive mood. All the talks about BJP or Congress do not match well with the Bihu atmosphere," Sarma told reporters.

He also said that an EC team is scheduled to visit Assam on March 5. The team is expected to meet the state administration regarding the Lok Sabha polls.

"The Chief Secretary will again convey our request to the EC team. If there is no such difficulty, we will appreciate finishing the election before Bihu," the Assam CM added.

In 2019, polling for Lok Sabha election in Assam was conducted in three phases.