Voters to be frisked
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Apr 17: The Election Commission of India has announced fresh polls for 19 polling stations spread across eight districts of the state on 20 April.
Addressing reporters here at the Nirvachan Bhawan, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kangki Darang informed that re-polling has been scheduled for this Saturday in accordance with the commission’s instructions.
He also advised voters to note that the polling duration will be from 6 AM to 2 PM this time instead of 7 AM to 5 PM.
In Arunachal West parliamentary constituency, five districts will go for fresh polls.
In West Kameng, re-polling will be held for the Nachiban polling station under Bomdila assembly constituency.
East Kameng district will have re-polls for the assembly constituencies of Bameng and Chayang Tajo.
While Bameng will witness re-polling only in Jomoh polling station, there will be fresh polling in the stations of Yangfo, Tagampu and Pipu in Chayang Tajo constituency.
Under Lower Subansiri district’s Yachuli constituency, fresh polling will be held for Deed and Pania polling stations. The same will be held for Bayor, Leya and Rebi polling stations under Daporijo constituency of Upper Subansiri district, and at Nasi polling station under Dumporijo assembly constituency.
Fresh polls will be held for West Siang district’s Kamki Dego polling station under Liromoba constituency and Sogum polling station under Likabali constituency.
In the east parliamentary constituency, Siang district’s Pangin constituency will witness polling in Messing polling station, while Longhua under Kanubari constituency and Longkhao under Longding-Pumao constituency of Longding district will also hold fresh polls.
The polling teams of Wagunpather, Nongtaw Khamti and Wingseng Nongtaw under Namsai district had recently met with an accident which resulted in damage to the EVMs. They will also go for fresh polling on 20 April.
The fresh polls are being held due to factors which include but are not limited to: defective electronic voting machines (EVMs) or voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), damage to EVMs or VVPAT, motor vehicle accident in Namsai carrying the EVMs, etc.
On reported claims of booth capturing, the ACEO said that there have been reports of some supporters stopping voters of the rival party from reaching the polling station, and that these are some of the reasons why such stations are also having re-polls.
Reportedly, some voters had entered with hammers and other tools to break the EVM inside the voting booth.
To this, the ACEO said that voters will be frisked this time around before they enter the polling booths.
He also requested voters not to sneak in tools to damage the EVMs and VVPAT.
Regarding re-polling for the constituencies of Palin, Tali, Nyapin and Koloriang, the ACEO said that the last polling teams arrived only on Tuesday and scrutiny is still underway.
On whether these constituencies would require fresh polls, he said it would be decided and approved by the commission soon.
“A separate date will be announced, if required,” the ACEO added.
The re-polling is also likely to increase the elector turnout. The total female elector turnout stands at 79.63 percent, while the male percentage is 75.07.
The total elector turnout for this year stands at 77.38 percent, as it was on Tuesday.
The 2014 elections had witnessed 76.96 percent elector turnout.
