Shillong, Aug. 22 (PTI): The Election office has engaged runners for tomorrow’s bypoll in Ranikor assembly seat for carrying messages to and fro from booths located in far-flung areas in view of bad road connectivity and unreliable mobile networks, officials said today.
Ranikor assembly constituency in South West Khasi hills, close to the Indo-Bangladesh border, will go to by-election tomorrow along with South-Tura seat in West Garo Hills district from where Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is in the fray.
At least 10 runners from villages within the Ranikor constituency, known to produce many long distance runners including former marathon national champion Binning Lyngkhoi, have been roped in to carry messages to and from the office of the district election office and far flung polling stations, chief electoral officer F R Kharkongor told PTI.
He said the runners have been engaged to make four trips first around 9 am from the remote polling stations and to report to the election officer on whether the polling has begun or not or whether there was any emergency situations.
The second around at about 11 am, the runners will report to the concerned officer on the polling trends and turnouts while the third and the last will be at around 1 pm and 4 pm respectively, Kharkongor said.
South West Khasi Hills district deputy commissioner Isawanda Laloo, who is also the district election officer, reasoned that the deployment of runners has been made as a contingency plan.
She said the road connectivity to some of the polling stations have been washed off due to heavy rainfall during the monsoon and that the mobile connectivity is equally bad.
She also said that some of these polling stations are located at over 20 km away from the district headquarters and one will take at least 3 hours to reach on foot.
Mawkyrwat and its adjoining areas are known to produce some of the most talented runners. Some of the runners from these villages are registered with RunMeghalaya, an organisation that promotes their raw talent.
Meghalaya officials expressed satisfaction that the engagement of runners on official duties such as the election duty will further promote the cause.
Brenning Lyngkhoi, a native of Mawkyrwat himself and now running for the Army, expressed happiness that the state government has given his young friends opportunity to run.
He told PTI I am happy that runners from Mawkyrwat gets the opportunity. I hope they get the attention of concerned authorities and I hope that someday they will do the nation proud.
