SHILLONG, July 17: The State Election department and the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Secretariat have taken steps and made necessary arrangements for the setting up of a meaningful and thematic green polling station for the all-important Presidential election on Monday.
Members of Parliament and legislators will vote at the specially designed pooling station in the Annexe Hall within the premises of the Assembly Secretariat at Rilbong, from 10am to 5pm on Monday.
State’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Frederick Roy Kharkongor on Sunday said the office of the CEO and the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Secretariat have decided to create a special forum of messaging while conducting the Presidential election on Monday.
Kharkongor said all preparations are in place and the election machinery is geared up.
The CEO further said the Election Commission of India (ECI) observer Kanti Shah had a meeting with the election officials and inspection and review of poll preparations were undertaken on Sunday.
Kharkongor said the observer was happy with the arrangements made as per protocols like voting compartment, security and strong room of ballot boxes.
He said the green polling station is envisaged as a model green polling booth and all materials utilised are 100% eco-friendly, designed by local artisans and embellished with traditional Meghalaya flavours.
“Biodegradable materials are the central focus, with zero use of single use plastic in both venue design and layout. Extensive use of locally-sourced bamboo, pottery, local handloom and handicrafts is another key highlight of the green polling station, anchored on promotion of the sustainability of green systems and biodiversity. Local self-help groups will also be engaged in the endeavour and abundance of greenery will also abound in and around the polling station premises,” Kharkongor said.
According to him, the entire creative concept is divided into components covering voting booth/compartment, the photo booth-cum-installation, the green messaging, green display and organic gallery.
Kharkongor said that the Presidential election polling booth is anchored on the organic green elections theme, with the pillars of “Be Natural”, “Vote for Mother Earth”, “Go Green” and “Stay Natural”.
“Inspired by the seed, the voting compartment symbolizes the birth or origin of the existence itself, with democracy at its core, beautifully rendered through knups (bamboo rain shields). Each vote cast inside the ballot box is expected to germinate into an outcome, that is both meaningful and impactful as a first step towards a greener future,” the CEO said.
Stating that traditional welcome arches at the entrance of the booth usher the voter into an organic zone, he said all corridors leading into the polling booth are adorned with a blend of vintage electoral pictures of the state’s earliest elections and its electoral journey to the present with focus on technology, voters’ participation from first time voters to senior citizens.
“The green model polling station endeavours to propagate eco-friendly and sustainable outlook towards life and livelihood, besides seeking to make inroads in highlighting local artisans and giving traditional crafts and values of the state a platform to shine and garner sustainable livelihoods embedded with electoral messaging,” Kharkongor added.
The constituents of National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance will support BJP candidate Droupadi Murmu. The All India Trinamool Congress MLAs would vote for Yashwant Sinha, the candidate named by the Opposition.
Meghalaya Pradesh Trinamool Congress president Charles Pyngrope had earlier stated the party MLAs would vote for Sinha.
Suspended Congress MLA Mayralborn Syiem on Sunday said he has personally decided to vote for Murmu who is a tribal. He said his four other suspended party colleagues will make their own decision.
Among smaller states, the vote value of each MLA of Sikkim is seven, followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram (eight each), Nagaland (nine), Meghalaya (17), Manipur (18) and Goa (20).
The value of the vote of an MLA in Uttar Pradesh is the highest in the country. At 208, the total value of 403 MLAs in the northern Indian state is 83,824. It was learnt that Rajya Sabha member WR Kharlukhi will vote from Shillong. The MPs have a much higher vote value at 700.
