SHILLONG/ TURA: Ampati recorded a voter turnout of 90.55 per cent on Monday when allegations and counter allegations by the Congress and the NPP about use of money and muscle power were flung in abundance.
The turnout was slightly less than the February general elections where the final turnout was 90.70 per cent. However, returning officer D D Shira did not rule out the percentage rising slightly as several polling parties were yet to return.
Long queues were witnessed in many polling stations.
Former chief minister Mukul Sangma and family voted in the afternoon.
Since there was no rain, the favourable weather condition was one of the factors for the large turnout of voters.
Despite both NPP and the Congress sparring on allegations of bribery and intimidation, no untoward incidents were reported from any of the 39 polling stations where voters queued up to cast their precious ballot on Monday.
Addressing a press conference in Shillong, Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Kharkongor said the by-poll passed off peacefully.
In 24 out of the 39 polling stations, the voters’ turnout was over 90 per cent.
He said the new initiatives introduced by the election machinery in polling stations were crèche to help mothers, web casting, all-woman and model polling stations.
Unlike in the past, there were no complaints about polling officers not clearing the data of the mock poll. This was possible as the election department had alerted polling officers well in advance. The election machinery had also kept two stand-by teams of polling officials in case of any man-elephant conflict in some polling stations.
Election officials informed that one Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine malfunctioned in Rongramgre polling station which was immediately replaced.
Among the many polling stations that witnessed staggeringly high voter turnout, Thakuranbari and Jelbongpara with 96 per cent each stood out.
There were others – Godalgre and Rangsa Abanggre with 92 per cent, Chodonpara 93 per cent, Kongpara and Joyfur 85 per cent – which witnessed record turnouts.
Among the polling booths, Bainapara East Room witnessed over 95 per cent voting while the West Room crossed 92 per cent.
The highest percentage was in Jelbongpara polling station with 96.81 percent and the lowest was at Morkona (83.52 percent).
Polling personnel from many nearby booths had already started arriving in Ampati with the sealed EVM machines on Monday to be placed in the strong room.
