ITANAGAR, 22 Apr: Alleging rigging and booth capturing by “thugs” of the BJP candidate for Nari-Koyu assembly constituency in Lower Siang district, Tojir Kadu, the Arunachal Democratic Party (ADP) has appealed to the state chief electoral officer (CEO) to conduct re-polling in four polling stations in Nari-Koyu constituency.
The party has lodged a complaint with the CEO,demanding re-polling at Tabiripo, Loglu, Sipu, and Potte polling stations.
In its complaint letter, the ADP alleged that “in the Loglu polling station, the polling agent of ADP was kidnapped in the early hours of the polling day and kept under captivation until 12:30 pm.”
“After being released, though already delayed, when he went to the polling station, he was denied access to the polling booth to carry out his duty as a polling agent of ADP,” Tami Pangu, the ADP’s Central Election Committee chairman, said in his letter to the CEO.
At the Tabiripo polling station, the party said: “The presiding officer deliberately misplaced the appointment letter of the polling agent from ADP, which had been duly submitted to him in good faith. Consequently, the polling agent was denied entry into the polling station under the pretext of the appointment letter’s alleged unavailability.”
“At Sipu polling station, BJP thugs of the village manhandled the polling agent of Arunachal Democratic Party and they forcibly entered and captured the polling booth. Here too, there were allegations that the presiding officer and other polling officials allowed BJP workers to cast votes on behalf of absentees,” the party said, and appealed to the CEO for an inquiry into the allegations.
It further informed the CEO that several poll-related violence and criminal intimidation have been observed in Nari-Koyu assembly constituency since the filing of nomination by Gegong Apang, the MLA candidate of the ADP.
It said that an FIR has been lodge at the Nari police station against the persons involved in the criminal intimidation and manhandling, and the copies were served to all officers concerned, but no action has been taken yet.
“Complaints of poll rigging/booth capturing have been lodged at ARO office, Nari, and copies were served to all offices concerned for necessary action,but again no compliance of the complaint has been received yet,” the party said.
It appealed to the CEO to immediately constitute a team to conduct inquiry into the alleged act of favouritism of the polling officers concerned and officials on duty, and also to issue direction to the RO/DEO to conduct of re-polling at the four polling stations.
