SHILLONG, APR 8: Ten candidates will be vying with each others to clinch the two parliamentary seats- Shillong and Tura Lok Sabha seats- in Meghalaya even as security have been tightened to counter the 12 hours boycott call given by the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) in Khasi and Jaintia hills on Wednesday, the day the state goes to polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Forty companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in different places to assist the state government to conduct free, fair and fearless elections.
If the militants infested Garo hills is matter of concern to the election department for smooth conduct of voting on Wednesday, Khasi and Jaintia hills also now needs special attention as the HNLC had given 5 am to 5 pm bandh call to derail voting that starts from 7 am to 5 pm.
In view of the HNLC bandh, the state government has directed the Border Security Forces (BSF) to seal the international border.
Appealing to voters to defy the bandh, acting Chief Secretary PBO Warjri has assured electorates of the Khasi and Jaintia hills that the government has made all the security arrangement to see that the polling for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat on April 9 is not only free and fair but also goes off smoothly without any hindrance.
Over 15 lakh voters in Meghalaya will decide the fate of the 10 candidates contesting from the Shillong and Tura Lok Sabha seats. Polling will take place in the 2562 polling stations spread across the eleven districts under the two parliamentary constituencies.
Of the total number of voters, over 9 lakh will be cast their votes in the 1633 polling stations under the Shillong parliamentary seat, while over 5 lakh voters will exercise their franchise in 929 polling stations under the Tura seat.
Having the highest number of candidates, Shillong seat with see as eight contenders including sitting Congress MP Vincent H Pala, United Democratic Party (UDP)’s candidate Paul Lyngdoh, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) – Shibun Lyngdoh, Aam Admi Party (AAP) – A Kharshiing, CPI – Richard Shabong and three Independents – PBM Basaiawmoit, Denis Siangshai and lone woman contender – Ivory Shylla wrestling to emerge a winner.
In Tura seat, twenty-seven year old Congress nominee Daryl William Cherran Momin, grandson of the first chief minister of the state Captain Williamson Sangma will have a straight contest with veteran politician Purno Agitok Sangma, who is also National People’s Party (NPP) national president and former Lok Sabha speaker.
A total of 10248 polling officials have been deputed in the 2562 polling stations.
Over 3300 electronic voting machines (EVMs) are in place for the conduct of smooth polling tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a total of 343 polling stations have been identified as hyper-sensitive and 375 as sensitive.
Security has also been beefed up especially in the militant infested areas of Garo Hills region and parts of West Khasi Hills region, a senior police official informed.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in the state, the total turn out of voters was 64.36 per cent with the total 12.76 lakhs of voters which is higher than the national average 59.9 per cent.
Meghalaya chief electoral officer P Naik is hoping that the total turnout of voters will see significant increase than the last Lok Sabha elections.
2014 Lok Sabha elections also saw many Election Commission of India (ECI) sponsored promotional programme on different aspects of voting right from ethical voting to exercising voter’s right to vote and other such related awareness campaign.– By Our Reporter
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