ITANAGAR, Apr 20: The Congress’ Nyapin MLA candidate Tai Nikio has alleged blatant violation of election procedures at two polling stations under the Nyapin assembly constituency in Kurung Kumey district and demanded re-polling at the polling stations in question.
Nikio said he would be compelled to seek legal action if his demand is not met soon.
Addressing journalists at Arunachal Press Club here on Saturday, Nikio accused the BJP of “capturing votes and instigating violence during the recent simultaneous elections.”
He said separate representations along with video footage have been submitted to the chief electoral officer (CEO) here.
“About 37 deceased persons were registered for voting in Pating and Cheki villages, while another 80 people were debarred from exercising their adult franchise. Polling agents were not only barred from entering the polling stations in Pating and Cheki villages, some of them were even kidnapped and tortured. One polling agent, Bamang Jarjo, was threatened with dire consequences, which was reported by the agent himself to the deputy commissioner, but no action has been initiated till date,” Nikio claimed.
He said an FIR was also lodged in the presence of the Sangram SDO by the polling agents of the Congress’ MLA and the MP candidates but no action has been initiated on the FIR, as well.
Nikio also said EVMs might have been tampered with as six polling stations in Nyobia circle were allegedly not equipped with CCTV cameras.
Reacting to the BJP’s Nyapin MLA candidate Bamang Felix’s request to the election commission to trace the whereabouts of the presiding officer of the Pating polling station, Nikio questioned why the election materials were received in the absence of the polling agent and the presiding officer.
“How could one Bamang Tago (brother of Bamang Felix) bring the EVM machine from Koloriang to Banquet Hall (in Itanagar) by chopper and presiding officer SK Singh, who did not attend the polling station, was sitting next to him?” asked Nikio.
Also rubbishing Felix’s claim that about 50 to 60 Congress supporters, “armed with weapons like hammers and daos,” had stopped his (Felix) car on 1 April, Nikio said “they were, in fact, the frustrated common public to whom he made false promises of development.”
