The Assam State Election Commission has formally rolled out the schedule for the general elections across all 32 constituencies of the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council (SKAC). With the timeline now established, administrative preparations are underway across the council area. Electors will cast their ballots on November 30, while the counting of votes is set to take place on December 3. The commission plans to bring the entire electoral exercise to a formal close by December 5.
Nomination Deadlines, Scrutiny, and Candidate Finalisation
The formal election notification was officially issued on November 3, opening the path for prospective candidates to enter the race. Contenders must submit their nomination papers by November 10. Nomination submissions are accepted on all working days, excluding public holidays, strictly between 11 am and 3 pm. Scrutiny of all submitted papers is scheduled for November 12, followed immediately by the publication of validly nominated candidates. Candidates wishing to withdraw their nominations may do so until November 16, after which the comprehensive final roster of contestants will be published on the very same day.
Polling Schedule, Voting Hours, and Repoll Contingency
Voting across the constituencies will take place on November 30, with polling booths operating from 7:30 am until 4 pm. In circumstances where voting is disrupted or a repoll becomes necessary, electoral authorities have slated December 1 as the designated repolling date, adhering strictly to the identical hours of 7:30 am to 4 pm. Vote counting will officially begin at 8 am on December 3, leading to the prompt declaration of outcomes before the overall process concludes on December 5.
Voter Demographics, Polling Infrastructure, and Expenditure Cap
A total of 1,63,966 eligible electors are registered to participate in the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council polls. Electoral rolls reveal that female electors form the majority of the electorate, with 84,667 registered women voters alongside 79,295 male voters and four electors registered under the other category. To accommodate voters across the 32 constituencies, the election machinery has set up 337 polling stations, alongside completing the inclusion of new electors. To ensure fair competition and financial restraint, election authorities have fixed the maximum permissible campaign spending limit at Rs 2 lakh for each contesting candidate.
