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Top poll officials in Assam marked the end of the second phase of polling on Friday by singing the iconic civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome" at midnight. The jam session, captured on camera, has since gone viral.
Leading the singing was Deputy Commissioner Devashish Sharma of Morigaon district, who took to strumming his guitar and belting out tunes as tired polling teams arrived at the strong room around 2 am on Saturday. Video of the impromptu jam session shows Mr Sharma right at the centre of a large gathering with his guitar while others join in on the chorus of the iconic song, first in the local dialect and then in English.
Watch: Assam Officials Sing "We Shall Overcome" After 2nd Phase Polling#LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/zB0B9nVBqs
— NDTV (@ndtv) April 28, 2024The anthem's origins are unknown but throughout history, it has served as a rallying call in civil rights movements across the globe, including during India's freedom fight in which Girija Kumar Mathur's original Hindi translation of the song as "Hum Honge Kameyab" is still sung in schools in the country.
The second phase of polling in Assam witnessed a 77.35 per cent voter turnout across five parliamentary constituencies on Friday. According to the Election Commission, this turnout reflects the robust participation of citizens in shaping the democratic process.
The third phase of polls is slated for May 7 in four Lok Sabha seats in Assam-Guwahati, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Dhubri with 47 candidates in the fray.
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