SHILLONG, April 24: The Meghalaya Election Department is trying to ensure peaceful polling for the Sohiong seat on May 10 with five companies of central armed police force having been deployed in the constituency.
The election in Sohiong was deferred after the death of United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate, HDR Lyngdoh on February 20.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), FR Kharkongor on Monday said about 60 arms have been deposited and five cases have been registered under Section 107 of the CrPC. In addition, 24 persons have been booked under the preventive sections.
There are three police nakas in operation and eight non-available warrants have been executed so far.
The sector officers and the zonal officers have been visiting the polling stations, Kharkongor said.
Five candidates are vying for Sohiong. They are S. Osborne Kharjana (Congress), Samlin Malngiang (NPP), Sandondor Ryntathiang (HSPDP), Seraph Eric Kharbuki (BJP), Stodingstar Thabah (TMC), and Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah (UDP).
“The preparations are ongoing. We had a detailed review meeting with the district election officer, returning officer, and the police machinery and so far in terms of electioneering, it is not very high intensity,” he said.
The constituency has been divided into two sectors and six zones and the CEO will be undertaking an inspection of the polling stations.
Sohiong, stretching from the border with Ri-Bhoi district to Eastern West Khasi Hills, has 63 polling stations for about 34,000 voters.
The election department so far has not received any complaints about any violation of the model code of conduct. There has been no seizure too.
“We will be webcasting this time as was done for the general election. Some 60% of the polling
Candidates hopeful
TMC’s Thabah said he does not see any sympathy factor working in favour of the UDP in Sohiong.
He told reporters that it would have been different if HDR Lyngdoh’s son, Nathaniel Osbert Rymmai had contested the election.
“The UDP would have had an edge had Rymmai contested. I do not see any sympathy wave for the late Lyngdoh’s nephew, Synshar,” Thabah said.
He slammed the NPP’s Malngiang for his remarks against church leaders.
Malngiang stated that the church leaders know only to speak but never act. The former MLA even said the church leaders would forget to pray when they smell food.
Thabah there could be differences of opinion between politicians and the church but the “use of harsh language against the church leaders is uncalled for”.
He admitted that the TMC could not do well in the recent Assembly polls since it is a new party in the state.
The BJP’s Kharbuki said the party has a strong chance to do well in Sohiong. He told reporters that the anti-BJP campaign will not work since people have seen how various political parties came together to form the government after the elections.
Admitting that the anti-BJP campaign was affected during the February Assembly polls, Kharbuki said the political equation now is totally different since all parties are part of the same coalition.
He said the BJP still has a great future in the state since it is all set to come back to power at the Centre after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Kharbuki attributed the party’s dismal performance in the recent state polls to the lack of proper scrutiny of the candidates before the allotment of party tickets. The party also suffered due to the late announcement of tickets, he said.