Arunachal ready for simultaneous Lok Sabha, Assembly elections
Our Correspondent
Itanagar: The stage is set for polling in two Lok Sabha and 57 Assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday with all arrangements have been completed, election officials said here on Wednesday.
A total of 181 candidates including 11 women, are vying for 57 assembly seats out of total 60 seats in the state, while seven candidates including one woman are trying their luck in the Western Arunachal Parliamentary seat along with five candidates for the Eastern Parliamentary seat.
The ruling BJP had already opened its account in the assembly polls by winning three seats unopposed.
The winners are Kento Jini from Along East constituency in West Siang district, Taba Tedir from Yachuli seat in Lower Subansiri district and Phurpa Tsering from Dirang seat in West Kameng district.
“Randomization of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and polling parties have been completed while polling parties along with polling materials for 518 remote and inaccessible polling booths out of total 2002 polling stations in the state, have already reached their destinations,” Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kangki Darang said.
Darang added that polling teams along with poll materials will reach the remaining polling booths on Wednesday evening.
“We are ready for polls with all necessary arrangements have been completed,” Darang added.
The polling, begining at 7 am in the morning would end at 5 pm, Darang said. The state government has deployed adequate security personnel for ensuring free, fair and violence-free polling. “We have deployed 45 companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) comprising ITBP, CRPF, IRBn, along with over seven thousand state civil police personnel,” Inspector General of Police Sunil Garg informed.
Garg added that maximum security personnel have been deployed in insurgency-hit Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts of the state.
“New wireless sets have been procured and additional wireless sets have also been arranged from Delhi-based directorate of coordination police wireless (DCPW) for effective communication,” the IGP informed adding, mobile phones have been arranged where wireless sets would not function for officials to pass on information through WhatsApp while dak runners would be pressed into service where both systems are not accessible.
Critical polling stations would be guarded by half to one section of CAPF comprising eight personnel in one section besides, a state police personnel to ensure normal voting, the IGP said. The flying squads and static surveillance team appointed by the Election Commission, along with state police has seized cash over six crore in the state, Garg added
Deputy Chief Electoral officer Liken Koyu informed 13,262 polling personnel have been engaged for 2,202 polling booths including 518 polling stations which require foot march. Koyu added that 26 general observers, one special expenditure observer, 22 expenditure observers, two police observers and an accessibility observer have been deployed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) besides 484 micro observers for smooth conduct of polls.
A total of 7, 94, 162 voters, including 4, 01, 601 women, would exercise their franchise in 2,202 polling stations spread across the state.
There are also 3000 odd physically challenged voters in the state.
This time, there are also 11 polling stations exclusively for women.
Polling Station no 52 at Naharalagun, under Itanagar Assembly constituency, has the highest number of voters at 1340, while Malogam polling station under Hayuliang constituency in remote Anjaw district bordering China has only one female voter.
Luguthang polling booth under Mukto constituency in Tawang district is the highest polling station located at an altitude of about 13,583 feet.
Eleven polling stations exclusively for female voters have also been set up in the state, the sources said.
The state has 281 vulnerable polling booths and 662 critical polling stations.
The BJP is fielding candidates in all the remaining 57 assembly seats while Congress is contesting in 46 seats, the NPP in 30 seats, JDU in 15 constituencies, JDS (12), PPA (9) and one from the All India Party (AIP).
There are also 11 independent in the fray for the assembly polls in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the star campaigner of the BJP and addressed two election rallies in the state at Aalo in West Siang district on March 30 and Pasighat in East Siang district on April 3, while party president Amit Shah addressed a rally at Bordumsa in Changlang district on April 5 last.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has also addressed an election rally. Veteran Bollywood actor Ashrani addressed several election rallies across the state in support of Congress candidates.
Also read: Arunachal news
