SHILLONG, Oct 29: The stage is set for safe, secure and peaceful by-elections to three Assembly constituencies on Saturday. Keeping a watch on the COVID-19 situation is part of the safety plan, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), FR Kharkongor said on Friday.
“All polling parties – 58 for Rajabala and 50 each for Mawphlang and Mawryngkneng – reached the polling stations safely,” he said.
A total of 1,02,695 voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the by-elections on October 30. Female voters outnumber males in all the three seats where the elections will be held.
There are 53,106 female voters and 49,589 male voters across these constituencies.
Of the total of 33,194 voters in Mawphlang, 17,475 are females and 15,719 males. Similarly, 18,986 of Mawryngkneng’s 36,751 voters are females and 17,765 are males while 16,645 of Rajabala’s 32,750 voters are females and 16,105 are males.
The CEO said all the materials have been dispatched and for the first time, in view of the COVID-19 situation, a nodal health worker will be deployed at each polling station to ensure COVID appropriate behaviour.
“The nodal health worker who has been trained by the COVID nodal officer of the Health Department will be guiding the voters on COVID appropriate behaviour and they will also oversee the various COVID-19 related arrangements,” he said.
He said that the nodal health workers will ensure proper entry into the polling stations, maintain social distance and provide disposal gloves to the voters before they touch the EVM and masks.
Kharkongor further said all the polling stations have been sanitised and there will be a provision of water and sanitiser in each and every polling station.
Referring to the ECI guidelines on webcast facility at 10% of the polling stations in each Assembly constituency, he said there will be a total of 16 polling stations under webcast.
“Six of 60 polling stations in Mawryngkneng and five each in the other two will be covered by webcast,” he said.
Micro-observers and videographers have also been deployed and there are three model polling stations and an all-women polling station in each Assembly constituency, Kharkongor said.
In view of the pre-poll clash between supporters of Congress and NPP in Rajabala, he said Section 144 has been in force there and would be lifted on the polling day. “Police observers are already camping in Rajabala. There are also six striking reserved forces comprising teams of a whole company of the central armed paramilitary force,” he said.
“We also have deployed personnel of the state police and home guards and long-range patrolling LRP and area domination is being done,” he added.
The CEO also said a section each of CAPF would be guarding 29 vulnerable polling stations in Rajabala.
“Apart from that, the entire constituency has been divided into zones and sectors. Zonal and sector police officers will be doing surveillance and patrolling,” he said.
West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, Ram Singh said two companies of central paramilitary forces and additional Meghalaya Police personnel have been deployed in all polling stations under the constituency, in addition to patrol parties.