NONGPOH: Despite the assurance of ensuring proper security cover during the recent CEO-level meeting between Assam and Meghalaya, voters from four villages falling in the areas of dispute under Block II in Meghalaya could not exercise their right to franchise due to non availability of transportation since the vehicles meant for ferrying them to and from the polling station was obstructed by sympathizers of Karbi People Liberation Tiger (KPLT), a militant outfit based in Karbi Anglong district of Assam along the Meghalaya border.
On Wednesday morning, a pick-up truck (ML05 K 0966) was proceeding towards Umlaper (Block-II) from Mawlasnai for ferrying voters from Umlaper, Ummat, Umhi and Pdengtliej villages, but the vehicle was stopped at Iew Umlaper by sympathizers of the Karbi militant group who warned the driver identified as Pynsuklang Shabong and asked him to return back with his vehicle.
Fearing for his life, the driver then took his vehicle to Umthlieh to ferry voters from the village.
Another bus, which was on its way to Umlaper, also had to turn back after being obstructed.
The voters from the four villages were to cast their votes at Mawlasnai polling station.
A police team under Zonal Magistrate George Marboh went to Umlaper to conduct spot enquiry into the incident.
Due to the non- availability of transport, the turnout of voters from the four villages was negligible as only 12 voters out of a total number of 298 voters from Ummat, Pdengtliej and Umhi were able to cast their votes, while only five voters out of 75 from Umlaper Village exercised their right to franchise.
The percentage of votes polled in Mawlasnai A and Mawlasnai B was 38.45 per cent and 38.10 per cent respectively while Khyndewso polling station recorded a fairly good percentage of 64.95.
All these three polling stations were classified as hyper sensitive where two armed policemen and one unarmed policeman were deployed for security coverage.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night at around 8 pm, three armed suspected KPLT cadres armed with one AK-47, one khukri and one stick targeted a JCB (Earth Mover) at Umlaper under Block-II areas and fired three rounds damaging the tyre, the windshields and a part of the body.
However, the suspected KPLT cadres did not target the seven people who were on board on the JCB but simply warned them saying that they had violated the bandh called by KPLT.
