March 20: Over 200 passengers traveling to Phuentsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar, Nanglam and Panbang are stranded in Gelephu because of problems in the neighbouring Indian state of Assam.

Our Gelephu correspondent Sonam Rinchen said most of the stranded passengers are voters on their way to their constituencies to take part in the National Assembly elections. They told BBS that they are worried that they may not able to take part in the elections. Some said they will travel via Trongsa.

Presiding and Polling Officers on their way to polling stations in Panbang constituency were also stranded in Gelephu for two days. They left yesterday escorted by armed force personnel.

The Superintendent of the Royal Bhutan Police in Gelephu said police in Chirang district of Assam have informed them that the situation in Assam is tense following an incident in which some cadres of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland were killed in Kokrajhar. Frequent strikes are being called for to protest the killings.

He said Assam police have asked them not to allow Bhutanese people to travel through Assam as the situation there is tense.