The counting of votes for the Assam Assembly by-elections started from 8 am on Thursday and the fate of 20 contestants in Rangapara, Sonari, Ratabari, and Jania will be known by the afternoon. People of the four constituencies voted on Monday (October 21).

Theby-polls to these constituencies were necessitated after sitting BJP MLAsPallab Lochan Das (Rangapara), Topon Gogoi (Sonari) and Kripanath Mallah(Ratabari) along with Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque (Jania) were elected to theLok Sabha.

InRangapara, there were five candidates in the fray: Rajen Bortakur (BJP), KartikKurmi (Congress), Royal Soreng (CPI-M), Sanjit Rajbangshi (SUCI-C) and ArupKumar Chowdhury (Bharatiya Gana Parishad). Rangapara recorded a voter turnoutof over 77 percent.

BJP'sNabanita Handique and Sushil Kumar Suri of Congress were the contestants inSonari. The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 71.3 percent.

InRatabari, there were four candidates in the fray:  Bijoy Malakar (BJP), Keshab Prasad Rajak(Congress), Birendra Ravidas (SUCI-C) and Parikhit Roy (Independent). Ratabari recordeda voter turnout of 74.37 percent.

InJania, there were the highest numbers of nine candidates in the fray. However,the contest was triangular among Towfiqur Rahman (BJP), Shamsul Hoque (INC) andRafiqul Islam (AIUDF). Jania recorded a voter turnout of over 80 percent.