SHILLONG: The campaign for the Shillong-Tura Lok Sabha seats and Selsella by-poll will end at 4 pm on Tuesday.
With the strict model code of conduct and restrictions by the poll panel, the campaign was a low-key affair.
Neither graffiti nor banners and posters of the contesting candidates were visible in the city.
Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Kharkongor said there were not many complaints during the campaign.
“However, till date, we have seized over Rs 71 lakh due to the violation of model code of conduct,” he said.
As many as 19,14,795 voters will decide the fate of six candidates in Shillong and three candidates in Tura. The official said the Election Department has launched several initiatives to encourage voters, including the disabled, to cast their precious votes.
While 17 companies of central paramilitary forces will be deployed in Shillong, 13 companies will be posted in Tura for the smooth conduct of polls.
After the election was announced on March 10, parties and their candidates chose to interact with the voters through street corner meetings and there were only a few public rallies in the run-up to the polls.
In the absence of star campaigners from outside the state, the parties did not get the required boost and they had to depend on state leaders to campaign for their respective candidates.
Though the Congress had scheduled an interactive meeting of AICC president Rahul Gandhi with party leaders and workers in support of Congress candidate Vincent Pala, it was cancelled as Rahul had other assignments.
Compared to the past elections, the BJP did not send any of their representatives to campaign for the party candidates in Shillong and Tura.
NPP primarily depended on Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who had campaigned for Agatha Sangma, the candidate for Tura Lok Sabha seat.
The MDA coalition partners actively took part in the campaigns for common candidate Jemino Mawthoh.
