By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A meeting of all the political parties will be held on Thursday to ensure a free and fair election in the State in the wake of the bandh call by the banned HNLC.
After a high level meeting chaired by officiating Chief Secretary Barkos Warjri on Wednesday, it was decided to convene a meeting of all the political parties, who are among the stake holders, to discuss the need to ensure large turnout on election day.
The State Government also appealed to all sections of the electorate to come out in large numbers on Saturday to exercise their franchise without fear and not to lend credence to the alleged call for the boycott of elections.
The high level meeting under the chairmanship of Warjri and attended by Director General of Police Prem Singh, Principal Secretary Home (Police) KS Kropha and Chief Electoral Officer P Naik among others reviewed the security scenario in the State following the announcement of boycott of the polls by the HNLC.
According to the official present in the meeting, the authenticity of the mail sent by HNLC to the media would be verified.
In a statement issued here, the Government said that it, however, has taken immediate steps to deploy adequate security forces to thwart any threat to security emanating from the alleged call for the boycott of elections.
“The State Government is committed to ensure full security to every voter and will take every necessary step to ensure that every voter shall be able to exercise his/her democratic right in a free, fair and secure environment,” the statement asserted.
The police department will also make detailed arrangements to respond to every need in this effort in any part of the State, it added.
“The district administration has also been instructed to follow the detailed security plan towards this objective,” the statement said.
The Government further said that it was as part of its efforts to involve all stakeholders in the election process, that the officiating Chief Secretary has convened a meeting of all the political parties on Thursday at 2pm at the main conference room of the Meghalaya Secretariat.
The Government urged the representatives of all political parties to attend the meeting.
An official with the State Home department said that as many as 71 companies of central paramilitary forces and 21 companies of state police forces will be pressed into service to ensure free and fair elections.
The ‘new tactic’ of the HNLC’s call for poll boycott has already sent the State Government into a tizzy as more forces will be required to maintain law and order in the State.
Though GNLA has not issued any threat to boycott the elections, the militant outfit can influence the voters in some pockets of East Garo Hills by way of threat and intimidation to vote for particular candidates.
Lapang asks HNLC
to call off bandh
Former Chief Minister and Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president DD Lapang on Wednesday appealed to the banned militant outfit HNLC to call off their 36-hour bandh in boycott of the Assembly election in the State.
Speaking to reporters at Nongpoh on Wednesday, Lapang said, “The right of the people should not be disturbed at any cost. I appeal the HNLC to call off their bandh so that people can exercise their franchise.”
The HNLC has called upon people to boycott the Assembly polls scheduled for February 23 and the 36-hour bandh would be effective from 6pm of February 22 to 6am of February 24.
This is the first time that the banned outfit has called a bandh to coincide with elections in the State.
The outfit, in a statement issued on Tuesday, also announced its intention to boycott all Indian elections including the Lok Sabha elections.