Himanta joins BJP

A car and two trucks were damaged during the BTAD bandh that paralyzes Bagsa district on Thursday.The bandh enforcers stopped movement of all vehicles in the area, threatening to destroy them.The bandh, supported by the Rabha Hasong Students Union, was called to protest against the alleged killing of people of the Rabha Hasong ethnic community in police firing and clashes in Goalpara district during the panchayat elections on February 12.Markets, shops, offices, banks, educational institutions remained closed and vehicles kept off the roads in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts comprising Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Baksa and Chirang districts.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday ordered a thorough judicial probe into the poll related incidents in Goalpara. The judicial panel will find out if the protests against the elections were instigated. Talking to reporters in Guwahati on Wednesday, he said that violence took place in 22 places. He further owned up full responsibility for the violence.He defended the elections and criticised the Opposition for blaming the government and not those who were disrupting the elections. The government has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the families of those killed in the police firing.

In an exercise that is bound to embitter the Assam-Nagaland relationship, a section of local organizations have allege that the neighbouring state has allegedly set up two polling stations along the interstate border in Golaghat and Sivasagar districts. The district administration of Golaghat on Tuesday sent an objection to Nagaland to withdraw the same. Golaghat district administration has conducted a magistrate level inquiry into the allegations and finally sent an objection to the deputy commissioner of Wokha to withdraw their polling booths. On the other hand, Wokha district administration tried to set up a polling booth at Merapani Town Lower Primary School in Golaghat district. But...

The third and final phase of panchayat polls are over to be marred by a string of sporadic incidents of violence on Tuesday.Polling began at 7 in the morning to be closed in the afternoon where huge turn out was registered in Dhubri, Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Barpeta, Nalbari.Incidents of arson erupted in the Rabha hasong council areas in parts of Goalpara and Kamrup rural districts,Voters in these areas had to confined to their homes because of the 36 hour long public curfew. Several houses along with poanchayat offices and polling booths were set ablez. Poll candidates were attacked and even a section of polling officials were not spared.