SHILLONG: After months of campaigning and preparations, Meghalaya on Tuesday finally voted to elect the new Government but surprisingly, the voters turnout in the state has reduced sharply.
In the last 2013 Assembly polls, the voters turnout was 86.88 percent.
Speaking to media persons, Chief Electoral Officer, FR Kharkongor said that the voters turnout till 3.45 PM was 67 percent and the department definitely expect it to raise further.
The CEO expects that the voters turnout will be around 75-80 percent and election department is still awaiting reports from different parts of Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills which has a trend of high voting,.
It may be mentioned that there were more than 22000 civil employees in the state who were deployed for the polls besides one air ambulance was also put in place for attending any medical facilities.
In Tuesday’s elections, there was as many as 361 candidates including 80 independents and 33 women candidates, adding there were 3025 polling stations where voters casted their votes.
According to Kharkongor, the scrutiny of the diary of presiding officers will be taken up on Wednesday to see if it matches with electors or not in the presence of election observers and Returning officers.
As many as 552 polling stations in the state had CCTV camera besides 193 polling stations had webcasting, adding that there 20 general observers, 21 expenditure observers, 11 police observers and 350 micro observers
Kharkongor also informed that presiding officers forgot to delete the data of the mock polls in two polling stations in Sibbari in Baghmara and Hasuragaon in Ampati.
“ A report is being obtained from the DC and the report will be sent to Election Commission for a decision If re-poll is required or not,” he told reporters