SHILLONG: The State has made adequate arrangement for smooth conduct of the presidential polls along with other states in the country on Monday.
In the 60-member House, the expected turnout will be 55 since four HSPDP MLAs are likely to skip the polls as the party has decided to boycott the election. Also, it is uncertain whether the jailed legislator Julius Dorphang will cast his vote.
The value of vote of each MLA is 17 whereas that of MPs is 708.
Three State MPs, Conrad Sangma, Vincent Pala and Wansuk Syiem, are also expected to cast their votes.
The violet special pen, pink ballot papers and ballot box have already arrived in the State.
The assistant electoral officer, Andrew Simons, said on Friday that the duration of the voting will be from 10 am to 5 pm.
The day after the polls, the ballot box will be taken in flight to the Parliament office for counting. Two officials from the Assembly and one official from the Election Department will accompany the ballot box.
“A separate seat has been booked in the flight to carry the ballot box,” said Simons, who is also the commissioner and secretary, Assembly.
Earlier, the two officials from the Assembly and one from the Election Department had brought the ballot papers, box and special pen to the State from the Election Commission in Delhi.
Each legislator will be given a violet pen each to mark his or her choice in the ballot paper as in the past there were some manipulations by using ordinary pen.
To a question, the Assembly official said if Mawhati MLA Julius Dorphang wants to cast his vote, he should make an appeal before the court through his lawyer as he is still in judicial custody.
“And if the court permits, he can come and register his vote with police security,” Simons said.
