HT Bureau
SHILLONG/KOHIMA, Feb 27: More than 75 per cent of the 21.6 lakh electors in Meghalaya cast their votes on Monday till 5 pm and the polling was peaceful, chief electoral officer FR Kharkongor said.
Similarly, Over 82 per cent of Nagaland’s 13.16 lakh voters cast their votes on Monday in the Assembly polls, held in 59 of the 60 constituencies amid tight security, election officials said.
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“At 5 pm, over 75 per cent turnout was recorded. In 200 odd polling stations in four districts, voting is likely to go on till 9 pm,” Meghalaya chief electoral officer Kharkongor said.
“Polling is being held in a free and fair manner. No untoward incident has been reported,” he said.
Malfunctioning of EVMs was reported in a few polling booths but these were later fixed, the CEO added.
Voting took place in 3,419 polling stations in Meghalaya, of which 640 have been categorised as ‘vulnerable’ and 323 as ‘critical’.
“Over 19,000 polling personnel and 119 companies of CAPFs have been deployed across the state. They have been backed by state policemen to maintain law and order,” the CEO said.
In Nagaland, voting was largely peaceful across the state except some incidents of stone pelting and blank firing which caused tension in the Bhandari assembly constituency in Wokha district.
A tenuous ceasefire has prevailed in the state for more than a decade now as peace talks are continuing with NSCN (IM) and other groups and the central government.
Voting began at 7 am with over 13 lakh electors set to decide the electoral fate of 183 candidates. Long queues were seen in front of polling stations since 7 am when voting began.
The nominees are contesting in 59 out of 60 assembly seats, as the Akuluto seat in Zunheboto district was won uncontested by BJP candidate and sitting MLA Kazheto Kinimi.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio exercised his franchise around 11.45 AM at his native village in Touphema in Northern Angami-II seat, along with his wife and three daughters.
Rio, who is seeking re-election for the seventh consecutive term from the seat, exuded confidence that the “NDPP-BJP alliance will return to power with a massive win”.
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the BJP are contesting the polls on a 40:20 seat-sharing arrangement.
The CM also appealed to voters, particularly those who are eligible to exercise their franchise for the first time, to participate in the festival of democracy.
“In Nagaland, people want the solution to the Naga issue, permanent peace and development,” he said.
Asked if a timeframe would be declared to end the impasse over the Naga peace talks, Rio said the NSCN-IM and the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) had signed separate agreements but a “solution could not be achieved because they were not together”.
“As the two of them came together and made a joint declaration on January 14 that they would work together to uphold the historical rights of the Nagas and protect their tradition, culture and identity, it has given us more hope that the issue may get resolved at the earliest,” Rio said.
On the demand of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) for a separate statehood, Rio said the Centre had invited them for discussion and made them understand that their demands would be considered after the assembly elections.
The ENPO has withdrawn its election boycott call and “polls are now being held peacefully,” he said.
The Congress, which ruled the state till 2003 and does not have any member in the current House, has fielded 23 aspirants.
The NDPP-BJP combine is seeking a mandate for the second term, with Neiphiu Rio as the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance.
The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya is contesting to retain power while the BJP, Trinamool Congress and other regional parties are attempting to bring about a change in the government in the northeastern state.
The Congress and the BJP are contesting in 59 seats, while the NPP has put up nominees in 56 constituencies, the TMC in 57 and the UDP in 46.
Though Meghalaya has a 60-member assembly, polling in Sohiong constituency has been adjourned following the death of one of the candidates.
NPP supremo and chief minister Conrad K Sangma is contesting from the South Tura constituency where he locked horns with militant-turned-BJP leader Bernard Marak.
Leader of Opposition and TMC leader Mukul Sangma is contesting from two seats – Songsak and Tikrikilla while his wife D D Shira is also in the fray.
The CEO also informed reporters that an Assam MLA had made a statement that “residents of Assam” in six police stations of Mawhati constituency along the disputed border will not be allowed to vote.
However, the matter was resolved after governments of both states took cognisance of this, he said.
Enforcement agencies have made the seizure of drugs, cash and freebies which was 20 times higher this year as compared to 2018.
Seizure of over Rs 74.18 crore was made since January 18 whereas the value of drugs seized was over Rs 33 crore and the value of cash was Rs 8.71 crore. The seizure made in 2018 was Rs 1.15 crore only, he said.
The counting of votes will be held in Nagaland on March 2 along with Meghalaya and Tripura. (With inputs from PTI)
