70% polling stations critical, vulnerable; 273 companies of CAPF for election duty
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Abhijit Sinha addressing a press conference in Kohima on Friday.[/caption]
Kohima Bureau
Kohima, Jan. 19 (EMN): With the Election Commission of India (ECI) having announced that the assembly election to the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly would be conducted on Feb. 27, the state will have 11,89,264 voters exercising their franchise at 2194 polling stations—459 in urban locations and 1735 in the rural areas.
Of these, 70% of the polling stations are considered to be critical or vulnerable. Only 627 are 'normal.'
This was informed by the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Nagaland Abhijit Sinha during a press conference that was conducted on Jan. 19 at Hotel Japfü in Kohima. The officer said that, 1048 polling stations fell under critical category while 519 were classified as vulnerable, according to poll mapping that was undertaken till Dec. 2017.
Sinha explained that critical polling stations were those where high voting percentage for a particular candidate or electoral malpractices were reported in the past. The vulnerable polling stations are those where the election commission expects problems such as voters not being allowed to vote or where some elements of violence are likely to occur, or where the area's voters are threatened or intimidated etc., it was informed
According to the CEO, the average number of electors per polling station is 542 as on Jan. 10. Any station that has more than 1400 voters will be divided into two groups by creating an auxiliary polling station.
It was informed that 4-Ghaspani-I assembly constituency (AC) has the highest number of voters with 65,637; 27-Mokokchung town AC the lowest with 7,135 voters.
The polling station with the lowest electorates: station-64 in Kiuro village under the 60th Pungro Kiphire AC has 33 voters; the 'highest number of electorate' in this category is in station-58 in Chumukedima Bl-V N/W of 4-Ghaspani-I AC with 1439 voters.
CEO appeals for cooperation
On the election being announced in spite of the call by Naga civil society organizations to defer it to pave way for solution to the decades-old Naga political issue, Sinha said that his office or the ECI was not in a position to comment on the ‘solution part.’ He reminded: with the tenure of the present house coming to an end, the ECI has a constitutional mandate to ensure that the assembly constituencies be formed by Mar. 13. That was why the election was announced and the process has to be completed, it was informed.
“My only appeal to everyone is that, since the election schedule has been announced, which has been done as per the mandate, to cooperate and not do anything which may disrupt the election process,” the CEO stated.
Security arrangements are being undertaken for strict law and order environment. According to the CEO, 273 companies of central armed police forces (CAPF) will be deployed to the state, who would be supplementing the strength of 58 companies of state armed police (SAP) and 5698 district executive force (DEF) personnel.
Sinha informed that 30 CAPF companies are expected to reach the state by Feb. 5 while the remaining will be arriving right after the completion of the Tripura polls.
Ninety-four static check posts are said to be in the process of being set up. They are said to be placed under CCTV coverage while those having good internet connectivity would be webcasted. In addition, 180 flying squads—three per assembly constituency—and 94 static surveillance teams will be put into place to check movement of vehicles, transfer of cash, liquor or other inducement items, the CEO said.
When queried about the designated polling station in Ladigarh under 49 Tamlu AC in Longleng district, located along the disputed Assam-Nagaland border where polling could not take place in earlier elections with Assam police restricting the passage of Nagaland polling officials, the CEO said that the location was still occupied by the Assam police as reported. He said that the district election officer (DEO) of Longleng will have to assess the situation and take a call by making a proposal to the CEO’s office regarding voting in the designated station. During the 2014 parliamentary election and 2013 assembly election, the electorate of said station had to cast their votes from an alternative location.
Referring to the communication plan for polling officials with regard to exchanging information or lodging complaints, the CEO said that around 93 polling stations do not have mobile service coverage. They will be covered by the police network system, it was informed.
About 550 polling stations will be put under webcasting where the poll proceedings will be webcasted centrally. Areas where webcasting is not possible due to internet connectivity issues, fixed camera 'videography' will be set up to record the polling process.
Sinha informed that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be used in all the 2194 polling stations. Besides these, 25 ACs have been identified where at least one all-women polling station will be set up, it was informed.
While calling for ethical and informed voting and an inducement-free election, the official said when inducement is given to a voter, not only the person who gives but the recipient too is liable for prosecution.
The toll-free number of the contact centre of the state election dept. to which citizens can dial is 1950 for any query or complaint. The CEO’s office also gave out control room numbers for all the districts through which complaints regarding offering of illegal cash or liquor or any sort of inducement could be made.
