SHILLONG: Poll campaigning for the Shillong and Tura Lok Sabha seats ended on a hectic note on Monday at 5 p.m.
Campaigning was peaceful in both Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Hills, with the Election Department appreciating the role of candidates and political parties in ensuring order. But, the campaign in Garo Hills was marked by mudslinging, with NPP becoming the main target of the ruling Congress.
In Khasi-Jaintia Hills, all the eight candidates, sitting MP Vincent H Pala (Congress), Paul Lyngdoh (UDP),Shibun Lyngdoh (BJP), Amerington Kharshiing (AAP), Richard Shabong (CPI) and Independents Rev. PBM Basaiawmoit, Denis Siangshai and Ivoryna Shylla, made last ditch efforts to reach out to the voters by holding public rallies and door-to-door meeting on the last day.
In Garo Hills, NPP candidate Purno A Sangma and Conrgress nominee Daryl William Cheran Momin concentrated in Tura town after completing their tours to the outlying areas in the last few days.
“The campaigns were incident-free in the state due to the traditional nature of following democratic norms by candidates and political parties”, Chief Electoral Officer P Naik told reporters.
The Election Department has already sent its report to the Election Commission of India regarding the violation of model code of conduct by way of using a State Government helicopter by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in Garo Hills for poll campaign.
Polling personnel have started moving to the respective polling stations since Sunday. “Half of the polling personnel have already left for their respective polling booths and the remaining polling personnel will leave on Tuesday”, Naik said.
He said the poll boycott call of HNLC on Wednesday would not have any impact on the electorates as, in the past, despite bandhs, the voters had come out in large numbers to cast their votes.
The campaigns of the candidates and political parties mostly centred round familiar issues like border dispute, ILP, influx and development. A few highlighted corruption as a hurdle in the way of development.
In Garo Hills, the NPP candidate raked up the issue of Garoland.
The total number of voters under Tura parliamentary seat is 5,86,501, while there are as many as 9,80,740 voters under Shillong seat.
The State Government has already deployed 40 companies of Central para military forces placed at its disposal, mostly in Garo Hills.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is also assisting the state police in preventing trans-border movements of militants and migrants.