Preparations for counting on, ballots under 3-layer security

KAAC polls

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 18: The ballot boxes of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) polls held on June 17 have been kept under a three-year vigil.

Such a three-layer vigil will also be seen on June 22 when the votes will be counted at three counting centres – Hamren, Diphu and Bokajan. The election was largely peaceful and the poll percentage was 78.04.  

State Election Commissioner (SEC) HN Bora told the media in his office here today that the election was by and large peaceful, without any law-and-order incident reported as yet. According to him, repoll is not necessitated in any of the polling stations in the 26 council constituencies. The total voters in the autonomous council, according to Bora, is 5,97,628 and the number of votes polled is 4,66,421, registering a voter turnout of 78.04 per cent. The highest number of votes, Bora said, was cast in the seven constituencies in Bokajan subdivision, registering a turnout of 80.26 per cent. 26-Duar Bagori constituency in the subdivision registered the highest turnout of 88.22 per cent. “It was followed by ten constituencies in Karbi Anglong district, registering a turnout of 77.42 per cent. The nine constituencies of West Karbi Anglong District registered a voter turnout of 77.21 per cent. This is a record voter turnout in any KAAC poll,” Bora said, and added: “As many as 67 objections were received. They were addressed instantly. We’re now ready for the counting on June 22 in as many as three counting centres – Hamren, Diphu and Bokajan. Every centre will have three counting halls and each counting hall is to have 14 counting tables. Counting will begin at 7 am and the results are expected after 3 pm. There will be a three-layer security cover, besides CCTV cameras during the counting. Rs 9.88 crore was fixed for conducting the entire poll exercise.”