Silchar, October 3, 2026: In a landmark moment for urban governance in Assam’s Barak Valley, residents of Silchar today began voting in the city’s first-ever Municipal Corporation election. The polls mark the formal transition of the former Silchar Municipal Board into a full-fledged Municipal Corporation, ending a six-year gap without an elected civic body.
Around 2.7 lakh eligible voters across 40 contested wards headed to 303 polling stations to elect representatives to the newly constituted 42-ward corporation. Two wards were already secured by BJP candidates who were elected unopposed, leaving the remaining 40 seats open for contest. A total of 131 candidates are in the fray.
Polling commenced early in the morning and is scheduled to continue until 4 pm. Unlike electronic voting machines used in most recent elections, voting is being conducted through traditional ballot papers. Despite heavy rain that continued through the morning, voters were seen queuing up at several polling stations soon after the start of voting. Official figures released by the State Election Commission showed a turnout of 19.24 per cent by 11:30 am.
The Assam government had declared a public holiday within the jurisdiction of the Silchar Municipal Corporation to facilitate smooth participation. All state government offices, educational institutions and financial institutions in the municipal area remained closed for the day. Extensive administrative and security arrangements were put in place, with the polling area divided into multiple sectors, each supervised by magistrates and police officials. Nearly 1,500 polling personnel and hundreds of security staff were deployed, with additional measures at sensitive stations.
District officials described the election as a significant civic milestone for Silchar, one of the most important urban centres in southern Assam. The creation of the Municipal Corporation is expected to strengthen urban planning, infrastructure development, and service delivery in a city that has grown rapidly in recent years. Political parties, particularly the ruling BJP and its allies, had campaigned intensively in the run-up to the polls, promising planned development, better civic amenities, and improved governance.
Counting of votes is scheduled for October 6. Results from this election will determine the composition of Silchar’s first elected Municipal Corporation and set the tone for urban administration in the Barak Valley for the coming years.
As voting continues through the afternoon under cloudy skies, residents and political observers are closely watching the final turnout and the emerging trends from this historic exercise in local democracy.