SHILLONG, Jan 13: Electorates living in villages along the disputed interstate border with Assam have been encouraged by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar, to participate in the upcoming Assembly elections.
A delegation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) led by the CEC was on a visit to Meghalaya to review the poll preparedness in the state. Their visit concluded on Friday.
“People living in villages along the disputed border can participate in the elections despite what has happened. Both sides have held joint meetings and discussions are taking place at the senior level as well. We are alive to the situation and there is nothing to worry,” Kumar said on Friday.
“There is no problem. We have reviewed the situation at our end and district officials from both sides have had detailed meetings,” he added.
At least six people, including five tribal villagers from Meghalaya and an Assam forest guard, were killed in a violent clash in Mukroh village, West Jaintia Hills, in November last year.
It may be noted that Assam and Meghalaya have a long-standing dispute in 12 areas along the 884.9-km-long interstate border, and the location where the violence took place is one of those. The states had signed a memorandum of understanding in March last year towards ending the dispute in six out of the 12 areas of differences
The CEC said the commission has instructed 16 central agencies to work in a coordinated manner in expenditure-sensitive constituencies.
“Agencies were asked to follow standard operating procedures in doing proper checks of planes and helicopters coming to the state to avoid any political party or candidate trying to induce voters with cash,” he said.
Political parties have to publish at least thrice in local newspapers and TV channels publicising cases pending against candidates with a criminal background and also explain why such people were nominated. Kumar said all steps will be taken to ensure that the elections are free, fair and participative. In this regard, the ECI has allowed voters to make any complaints to the commission through the c-vigil app, he said.
The CEC added that there is no scope for freebies to be distributed even with cash.
“Drugs, which is a serious issue is not transmitted from here or not consumed here. So we have given directions to everybody and they will be on the job very strictly. They’ll have check posts at all the interstate and international borders. They will even have CCTV cameras there,” Kumar said.
He said 21 lakh voters in the state are eligible to exercise their franchise in 55 reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes and five unreserved constituencies.
Female electorates have outnumbered male in the state. The gender ratio is 1022.
There would be a total of 3,482 polling stations with an average of 620 voters in each, the official said, adding 120 booths will be managed by women teams.
A total of 81,443 electors will be eligible to cast their votes for the first time.
