Guwahati, April 11 (IANS) Voting for the second and final phase of elections in 64 of the 126 assembly seats in Assam was proceeding smoothly with 27 percent turnout in the first four hours since polling began at 7 a.m., officials said.
Election officials were expecting a high turnout due to pleasant weather and good turnout in the first phase of polling April 4.
 
 In Assam's main city of Guwahati, thousands had lined up before polling booths since morning.
 
 "So far, polling has been going on peacefully," an official said.
 
 Voting will continue till 3 p.m. in the 11,589 polling stations. An estimated 9.7 million voters would decide the fate of 496 candidates in the fray.
 
 "We are confident that people would vote for good governance, stability, and peace," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
 
 Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the Congress candidate from Jalukbari seat in Guwahati, said: "I am happy at the very encouraging turnout with people in large numbers coming out to vote."
 
 The opposition too was optimistic that the elections would help bring in change.
 
 "People of Assam are looking for a change," Chandra Mohan Patowary, president of Assam's main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), said after casting his vote.
 
 The first phase April 11 sealed the fate of 485 candidates with an estimated 73 percent polling recorded in 62 assembly seats.
 
 The results will be declared May 13.
 
 Over 40,000 police and paramilitary troopers were deployed in various places, with authorities not taking any chance despite a general lull on the insurgency front.
 
 Among the prominent candidates whose fate would be sealed in Monday's vote are AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary, two time former chief minister and AGP senior Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Congress ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rockybul Hussain, besides at least 41 women candidates.
 
 The multi-phased elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry end May 10. This is the first major electoral exercise since the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.