TURA: Even as a decision is awaited from the Election Commission of India to hold a re-poll in one of the polling stations of Selsella where there was a mismatch of the Electronic Voting Machines due to human error, it is highly anticipated that the order to conduct a fresh poll could take place as early as next week.
The Election Department in the state had on Friday written to the ECI requesting for the re-poll at Konachar polling station of Selsella assembly constituency where there was simultaneous polling for the by-poll and the Lok Sabha election, a day earlier.
With previous re-polling conducted across the country by the Election Commission of India usually taking place within three to four days, it is highly anticipated that voters of Konachar polling station may be heading back to the polling booth early next week.
Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor had, in a press conference on Friday, informed that re-polling was recommended due to the mismatch.
There were two EVMs in the polling station since Selsella assembly by-election was also conducted in the constituency alongside the Lok Sabha election for Tura parliamentary seat.
The presiding officer at Konachar polling station had mistakenly connected the ballot unit meant for the Lok Sabha elections with the control unit of the By-poll while the control unit meant for the Lok Sabha poll was connected to the ballot unit meant for the by-poll.
In the polling at the station on Thursday as many as 668 voters voted in the Lok Sabha election and 674 voters cast their ballot for the By-election.
While Agatha Sangma of the NPP, Mukul Sangma of the Congress and Rikman Momin of the BJP were the three candidates in the Tura Lok Sabha election, for the Selsella by-election there were four aspirants, namely, June Eliana Marak of the Congress, Ferline C A Sangma of the NPP, Adarsho Sangma of the BJP and Sayedullah Nongrum of the UDP.
The Selsella by-election is taking place following the demise of its sitting MLA and former cabinet minister Clement Marak in October, last year.