Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee reiterates its demand for repoll at Raibalo

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Alleging blatant violation of election procedures on April 11, the day of polling at Raibalo polling station under Palin Assembly Constituency in Kra Daadi district, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has reiterated its demand for conduction of re-poll at the said polling booth.

In a complaint letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner, Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi, APCC president Takam Sanjoy mentioned that “On April 13, election agent Tarh Johny has lodged a complaint that on April 11 the entire poll was done by some eight to nine persons. Even the Congress polling agent has been kidnapped, tortured and later released.”

He also claimed, as per the report of Returning Officer, Palin A/C on the basis of presiding officer diary of 30-Raibalo polling station, it was reported that only 35 to 40 people voted for all the voters.

In the report, there was difference in voting for Parliamentary constituency and Assembly constituency as a total of 563 votes were recorded in the EVM for PC and 546 votes for AC as per the presiding officer diary. But there was no any explanation given by the presiding officer for the difference in votes polled for AC and PC, Sanjoy wrote.

The APCC chief further alleged that as per the report of RO, the video camera returned from the polling station had no recording of any video footage…it is a big question how there is no any video recording of polling, which clearly indicates that the video has been tampered (with) and deleted after presiding officer’s submission to RO.

“In view of the aforementioned facts and circumstances, it is very clear that there is serious matter of booth capturing by blatant violation of election procedure in 30-Raibalo polling station,” read the APCC complaint. The party, therefore, requested the poll body to order for immediate re-poll in Raibalo polling station “to ensure the real spirit of democracy and to restore the faith of the general public in the constitutionality and impartiality of Election Commission”.

Meanwhile, the APCC, in a separate petition to the State’s Chief Electoral Officer on pleaded for appointment of presiding officers and polling officers for the April 27 re-poll in 18 polling stations in Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi districts, from other districts who are not locals of the two districts in order to ensure free and fair polls.

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