SHILLONG/JOWAI FEB 23: Braving the 36-hour poll boycott call given by the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), voters in Meghalaya turn out in large number on Saturday to cast their votes and elect the sixty legislators in the ninth Meghalaya assembly.
The overall voting percentage in the state was put at 85 but the Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer P Naik told this website as reports were still pouring in from far-flung areas of the state, the percentage will go up. He said, “Only by Sunday morning will we get the exact percentage of voting in the entire state.
In 2008 Meghalaya assembly polls the voting percentage was 89.04 which Naik is hoping to cross this time despite the HNLC poll boycott call.
Voting by and large has been reported to be peaceful throughout the state. Even in Garo hills all the five districts deputy commissioners claim that the voting in their districts have been peaceful, but as they have not got reports from all the polling stations in far flung areas it will be certain only around 1 am if polling was smooth overall.
Three hundred and forty-five candidates are in the fray and 15, 03,907 electorates of which 7,44,299 are male and 7,59,608 females will decide their fate.
About 900 polling stations have been classed as hyper sensitives and 91 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed across the state.
During the voting 35 cases of malfunctioning voting machines were reported which was later rectified.
In Shillong, voters started queuing up right from morning when the polling booths opened at 7 am. The voting continued till 4 pm, but there were polling stations that voting were still talking place past the 4 pm deadline. Naik said, “As there were long queues in some of the polling stations voting is still continuing.”
Besides the old and the young, differently abled voters were also seen going to the polling stations to cast their votes. In Shillong, an old woman in came in a wheel chair pushed by her two sons in Little Flower School polling booth in Khliehshnong Malki and another old gentleman came in a crutch at Upper Mawprem to cast their votes.
In Jowai too a 30-year-old Hunbait Lato came from Dulong locality in a wheelchair to the polling station to cast his vote. He told this website, “I know it’s a bandh but still I don’t care and all I want to ensure is that I should get to vote.”
This website spoke to most of the Deputy Commissioners cum District Election Officers (DEO) to get a feel of the voting in their respective districts.
East Khasi hills DC cum DEO Sanjay Goyal said that the overall percentage of voting that he got till evening was 83 percent, but added, “ It is likely to change as some reports are yet to come from remote constituencies. There are 17 constituencies in the East Khasi hills District. He said voting has been by and large peaceful.
.West Khasi hills DC cum DEO S Kharlyngdoh, however, had the polling update of only 1 pm. He said, “ Till 1 pm the percentage was 57.09 percent and am waiting for the updates which will certainly change the voting percentage. He claim that polling was by and large peaceful as no untoward incident has been reported from any quarters.
South West Khasi hills DC cum DEO Aldous Mawlong said that in Ranikor constituency the voting percentage was 78 and 67 percent in Mawthadraishan, but said reports from all the polling stations have not reach and once he gets the report the final figure will change. He also claims that there has not been any untoward incident during the polling in his district.
West Jaintia hills DC cum DEO PS Dkhar informed that the voting percentage in his district was ninety percent and the polling was peaceful as nobody reported of any poll related incident to him.
East Jaintia hills DC cum DEO A Bhakotia informed that voting percentage in his district was 91 percent and polling was peaceful he claimed.
Ri Bhoi district DC cum DEO Akash Deep said that till 6 pm the voting percentage was 85 percent, but some reports from far-flung polling stations were yet to arrive, therefore, he said the percentage might change a little. He also claimed that polling was peaceful in his district.
East Garo hills DC cum DEO Vijay Kumar Mantri said that till evening the voting percentage was 81 which is likely to change as he is yet to get reports from some polling stations. He said, “Polling is by and large peaceful.”
South West Garo hills DC cum DEO Ram Singh also said that the percentage of voting was around 90 percent in his district, which he claims went off peacefully.
With regard to West Garo hills and South Garo hills districts both the DCs could not be reached. CEO Naik, however, said that in South Garo hills it was 83 percent and West Garo hills 87 percent, which he said will change as some information from some polling stations was yet to arrive. – By Tilak Rai & Evanjopline Dkhar.
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