SHILLONG: Wednesday is the last date for withdrawal of nomination for April 9 Lok Sabha election.
Till now there is no indication of any candidate withdrawing from the fray.
It may be mentioned the eight candidates who will lock horns in the election at the Shillong seat are sitting Congress MP Vincent H Pala, UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh, BJP candidate Shibun Lyngdoh, AAP candidate Amerington Kharshiing,CPI candidate Richard Shabong and three independent candidates including Rev PBM Basaiawmoit, Denis Siangshai and Ivoryna Shylla.
Tura is set to witness a straight fight between NPP veteran Purno Sangma and the young Congress candidate Daryl William Ch Momin.
Expected voter turnout: The turn out of voters in Meghalaya in the last Lok Sabha election stood at 64 per cent, the Election Department is expecting atleast 75 percent turn out in the April 9 election.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer P Naik the election department has taken several measures to ensure high turnout of voters by way of different programmes to encourage voters to come and exercise their franchise.
Various programmes like kite flying, graffiti painting walls and air shows are being organised under the Systematic Voters’ Education And Electoral Participation (SVEEP).
According to Naik, the Office of the Chief Electoral officer is also working on an SMS-based system where voters just need to enter their EPIC number and they will get all the details of their polling stations, where they have cast their votes, in their mobile phones.
He also said that there are certain directions from the Election Commission of India from time to time on the basic minimum facilities like water, electricity and availability of ramps in the polling stations.
Reacting to a query about the possible threats from insurgent groups during polls, the Chief Electoral Officer said that certain pockets of Garo Hills area of the State were sensitive.
He added that 40 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces have already arrived in the state to ensure peaceful conduct of elections.