SHILLONG: The district council elections this year recorded less voting percentage as compared to the last polls in 2014 with Nongthymmai, an urban constituency, witnessing the lowest turnout.
The final voting percentages in Khasi and Jaintia Hills, which were released on Thursday, stood at 76.67 and 89.22, respectively, and the overall turnout was 79.6 per cent.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, Commissioner and Secretary of District Council Affairs Tining Dkhar said in 2014, the voting percentages for Khasi and Jaintia Hills were close to 78 and around 92, respectively.
When asked about the reason for the drop in voters’ turnout, Dkhar blamed the inclement weather on Wednesday that “discouraged people from coming to polling stations”.
However, he said “figures are well and good and it seems it is encouraging”.
A section of voters said the holiday on Wednesday was not announced properly and many local tribals working in central government offices and PSUs could not go for voting.
When contacted, officials said the holiday was announced by the General Administration Department.
Commenting on the urban-rural variation, Dkhar said factors for urban apathy are not known but he had observed that “people are not anxious about the performance of the representatives which makes them hesitant to vote in the district council elections”.
Asked on the general law and order situation during the polls, Dkhar said people are aware of the need to maintain peace and harmony which, is the basic tenet of democracy.
With the allegations of distribution of money during the day of polling doing the rounds, Dkhar said, “There were no reports of such incidents in writing and it is difficult to ascertain the authenticity of such incidents.”
The percentage of total votes polled in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council in urban areas is above 60 but did not exceed 70.
Nongthymmai recorded lowest turnout with 48.5 per cent. The smallest urban constituency, Laban-Mawprem, recorded 64.84 per cent of total votes polled while Mawlai which is the biggest constituency in the KHADC has total votes of 68.61 per cent.
In rural areas, the percentage of votes polled was above 70 but below 90. It was only Mylliem that recorded a percentage of 69.89 per cent. Nongshken constituency recorded the highest with 88.23 per cent.
For Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, the figures were high with total votes polled touching a percentage above 80 and below 100.
The highest percentage of voting in JHADC was in Tuber constituency with total number of votes polled at 96.41 per cent and the lowest was Jowai (North) with 81.12.
Counting centres
The counting of votes for Sohryngkham, Mawkynrew, Nongkrem, Lyngkyrdem-Laitkroh and Nongshken will be held at Training Halls (adjacent to Dalang Stage). The counting centre for Mawsynram and Mylliem will be at Dalang Open Stage Polo 5th Ground. Indoor Stadium, JN Sports Complex, will be the counting centre for the constituency of Laban-Mawprem, Nongthymmai, Laitumkhrah-Malki, Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah, Jaiaw, Mawlai, Mawphlang-Diengiei and Nongspung-Sohiong.