SHILLONG, FEB 28: Meghalaya has recorded an overall voter turnout of 84.80 per cent with more than 15 lakh people casted their votes on Tuesday’s polling for the 59 out of 60 Assembly constituencies.
The percentage of voter turnout this year is expected to increase much more compared to the last Assembly elections held in 2013 which was at 86.82 per cent in view that poll for Williamnagar constituency has been postponed due to the death of a candidate.
Till 4pm yesterday, the turnout percentage was recorded at 67 per cent.
Minus Williamnagar, altogether there are a total of 361 candidates including 32 females and 80 Independents in the fray.
“The final percentage of voter turnout was at 84.86 per cent. This was without the postal ballots being counted and also minus Willliamnagar constituency which has over 32,000 electors and 58 polling stations,” Chief Electoral Officer FR Kharkongor told journalists here.
According to him, the percentage was recorded from only 3024 polling stations since re-polling in Kyndong-Tuber polling station under Raliang constituency in West Jaintia Hills District will be held tomorrow due to human error and mixed up of EVMs yesterday.
Kharkongor also expressed optimism that the voting percentage this year would be higher than the last Assembly elections held in 2013.
“This year’s turnout was quite robust and healthy and we are hopeful that after re-polling in Kyndong-Tuber and polling in Williamnagar, the percentage would either be equal to the last elections or we may do slightly better,” he stated.
Of the total 18, 09,818 eligible voters for the 59 constituencies, 15,35,846 came out to vote including 7,88,511 females and 7,47,335 males. The percentage of female voters was at 86.30 per cent which is much higher than male voters at 83.40 per cent.
While Mookaiaw constituency in West Jaintia Hills District recorded the highest voting percentage at 93.21 per cent, the lowest was North Shillong constituency in East Khasi Hills District with only 60.79 per cent.
Out of the eleven districts, the maximum number of voters who came out to exercise their franchise was in South West Garo Hills District, which registered an overall percentage of 91.15 percent, while the lowest was in South West Khasi Hills with only 75.08 per cent.
Kharkongor however admitted that there has been low turnout of voters in constituencies of the state’s capital citing that one of the reasons was due to urban apathy while denying that it was due to any threat perception.
Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer informed that counting will be held in 13 Centres placed at the capitals of the eleven districts and two sub-divisions including Sohra in East Khasi Hills and Mairang in West Khasi Hills.
“Counting will start from 8am onwards in all the 11 district capitals and two civil sub-divisions,” he said while informing that measures have been taken to ensure tight security during the process.
Anticipating possibility of law and order problem in some of the constituencies, Kharkongor said that the Director General of Police have already made arrangement to take care of the post counting scenario.
According to him, the six additional companies of paramilitary forces sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs will remain for maintaining law and order situation while 11 others have been retained for guarding the strong rooms across the state.
By Our Reporter
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