Meghalaya: over 80% voter turnout in Assembly bypolls

“Till 7pm, the overall poll percentage in the three constituencies is 80.86 percent,” Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor told reporters soon after polling came to a close at 4pm.

Rajabala recorded the highest voters’ turnout at 90.63 percent followed by Mawphlang at 76.90 percent and Mawryngkneng at 75.06 percent, he said.

The bye-elections were necessitated after the deaths of two Congress legislators – David A Nongrum from Mawryngkneng and Dr Azad Zaman from Rajabala, and Independent MLA of Mawphlang SK Sunn.

In 2018, the polling percentage in Mawryngkneng was 85.50 percent while 88.68 percent in Mawphlang and 93.39 percent in Rajabala.

Stating that the figures are not final, Kharkongor said, “We are expecting that the percentage especially in East Khasi Hills district will go up once we get reports from about less than 20 polling stations.”

Over 1 lakh voters came out to exercise their franchise in 168 polling stations for electing their new representatives. 16 polling stations were under webcasting.

The fate of 13 candidates contesting for 3 seats in the two districts will be decided on November 2, when the counting takes place.

Asked, the CEO said that from the law and order point of view, polling was very peaceful as voters including senior citizens and first time voters enthusiastically participated in the bypolls.

He added that there were also no untoward incidents reported from Rajabala, which has over 29 ‘vulnerable’ polling stations and which had witnessed clash between supporters of two political parties.

Kharknogor also said there was a very negligible rate of machine malfunction adding only six VVPATs had to be changed of which 2 were in Mawphlang, 1 Mawryngkneng and 3 Rajabala.

Due to this, Ladmawreng is one of the polling stations where polling ended beyond 4pm as people who were already standing in long queues were allowed to exercise their franchise.

On the complaint lodged by the opposition Congress, the CEO said that prompt action was taken by the returning officer who immediately issued an order prohibiting the use of mobile phones inside the voting hall.

“In fact when we were doing webcasting, when we saw that one of the presiding officers had inadvertently brought a mobile phone in fact instructions were given by members of my team to the presiding officer that is not allowed and that was complied with,” he added.

He also said there was no complaint received against distribution of money during the elections.

He said that huge country made liquor as well as Indian Made Foreign Liquor to the tune of Rs 1.72 lakh and 5 gram of heroin was seized in Tura.

On whether the heavy deployment of forces in East Khasi Hills was due to threats by a banned militant outfit, the CEO however said the first priority was to ensure free, fair and safe polling.

“(Besides) we always take cognizance of whatever apprehensions that are there…all these steps were duly taken by the police and that also to instill confidence in the hearts and minds of the voters,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kharkongor informed that counting will start at 8 pm on November 2. Due to the COVID-19 protocoles, there will be 7 tables per round unlike in pre-pandemic times, it used to be more than that.

He said there are three counting halls, one at Tura and the other two at JN Stadium here.

“5 VVPAT machines will be selected randomly for counting of the paper slips that will be done under the supervision of the observers who will be assisted by the micro observers and we will also have the entire process under webcasting,” he said.

On the security arrangements, a police officer said the EVMs will be taken to the strong rooms at Tura and Shillong.

“The strong room at Tura are guarded by a two-layered security (one platoon of CRPF, two platoons of state police forces) and at JN Stadium by a three layered security (one company of central paramilitary forces, two platoons of state armed forces and one platoon third layered of state armed forces),” he said.

According to him, the state police are ready with the arrangement regarding the traffic and frisking and checking the candidates and their representatives during the counting.

“We are making arrangements for escorting the winning candidates from the counting centre to their residences,” he said.

By Our Reporter