Largest Family in Assam of 350 members set to cast votes in Lok Sabha Elections

Guwahati, Apr 15: The family of the late Ron Bahadur Thapa, hailing from Phuloguri Nepali Paam in Assam's Sonitpur district, is one of the largest groups participating in the first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections on April 19.

The district is part of the Rangapara assembly constituency and the Sonitpur parliamentary segment, and all eligible family members will vote in the Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituency. Ron Bahadur Thapa is survived by 12 sons, 9 daughters, and more than 150 grandchildren. He had five wives, and his extended family consists of nearly 1,200 members.

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Of these, around 350 are eligible to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. There are nearly 300 families related to the same ancestor living in the Phuloguri Nepali Paam area. Til Bahadur Thapa, the village headman of Nepali Paam village and a son of the late Ron Bahadur, noted that his father settled in the state in 1964.

Despite having a large family, they have yet to benefit from state or central government welfare programs. Many family members work as daily wage laborers or in private jobs outside the state. Another son of Ron Bahadur, Sarki Bahadur Thapa, shared that he has three wives and 12 children, adding to the family's size.

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In total, there are over 16.25 lakh voters in the Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituency, which consists of 9 assembly segments. Elections in Assam's 14 Lok Sabha constituencies will occur in three phases on April 19, April 26, and May 7.