Counting of votes today
SHILLONG: The fate of as many as 212 candidates – 123 in the KHADC and 89 in the JHADC – will be known when counting of votes begins at 8 am on Thursday.
The District Council Affairs Department has made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of the counting process.
The District Election Officer (DEO), East Khasi Hills, informed that counting of votes for Sohryngkham, Mawkynrew, Nongkrem, Lyngkyrdem-Laitkroh, Nongshken, Mawsynram, Mylliem, Laban-Mawprem and Nongthymmai constituencies will be held at the Indoor stadium, Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex, Polo.
Counting of votes for Laitumkhrah-Malki and Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah constituencies will be held at Dalang Stage while counting for Jaiaw, Mawlai, Mawphlang-Diengiei and Nongspung-Sohiong constituencies will be held at the JNSC Training Hall.
The Election Officer also informed that counting of votes for Shella and Sohra constituencies will be held at the Sub-Division Office, Sohra.
In West Khasi Hills, counting of votes for the three constituencies of Nongstoin, Rambrai-Jyrngam and Mawthengkut will be held at Nongstoin while counting for the two constituencies of Langrin and Mawkyrwat will be held at Mawkyrwat.
For Mawthadraishan-Pariong and Mairang constituencies which fall under Mairang Civil Sub-Division, the counting has been arranged at Mairang.
Counting of votes for all the five constituencies in Ri Bhoi District – Jirang, Mawhati, Umroi, Umsning and Nongpoh – will be held at Nongpoh.
Meanwhile, counting of votes for the 20 constituencies of the JHADC in West Jaintia Hills District will be held at Jowai, while the counting of votes for the nine seats in East Jaintia Hills District will be held at the district headquarters of Khliehriat.
The Congress has fielded its candidates in all the 29 seats of both the KHADC and the JHADC, while the Opposition in the State Assembly, UDP, has fielded 29 candidates in the KHADC and 16 in the JHADC. Among others in the fray for the KHADC are 20 candidates from HSPDP, 13 from KHNAM, four from NCP and one from NPP, besides 37 Independents. In the JHADC, the NCP has fielded three candidates and while five from the HSPDP are in the fray. There are as many as 36 Independent candidates contesting the JHADC polls.
The outcome of the results is crucial for as many as nine sitting legislators – District Council Affairs Minister and Congress leader HDR Lyngdoh (Nongspung-Sohiong), KHADC Chief Executive Member and sitting legislator from the Congress Pynshngainlang Syiem (Mawsynram), Independent candidate Stephanson Mukhim (War-East), HSPDP legislators Ardent Basaiawmoit (Nongkrem) and Phlastingwell Pangniang Rambrai- Jyrngam), NCP leader Sanbor Shullai (Laban-Mawprem), UDP legislators Remington Pyngrope (Mawkynrew), Metbah Lyngdoh (Mairang-Nongkhlaw) and Titosstarwell Chyne (Sohra).