High-decibel election campaign for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls ends in State

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: The heat and dust of electioneering for April 11 simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh ended on Tuesday evening as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Altogether 181 candidates including 11 women are in the fray for 57 assembly constituencies 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.

The election campaign remained peaceful in the state barring stray incidents of violence in Tirap and Longding districts where NSCN (IM) militants killed a National Peoples’ Party (NPP) worker and another civilian.

The ruling BJP as well as the opposition Congress undertook hectic campaign trail almost in every nook and corner of the state along with other political parties including first Janata Dal United (JDU), Janata Dal Secular (JDS) and NPP who is entering for the first time in the state’s electoral scene besides, Peoples’ Party of Arunachal (PPA).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the star campaigner of the BJP, 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’s president Amit Shah addressed a rally at Bordumsa in Changlang district on April 5 last. The Opposition congress brought veteran Bollywood actor Ashrani as their star campaigner who addressed several election rallies across the state.

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.

The flying squads and static surveillance team appointed by the Election Commission, along with state police has seized cash over five crore in the state, Inspector General of Police Sunil Garg said. A total of 7, 94, 162 voters, including 4, 01, 601 women, would exercise their franchise in the April 11 simultaneous polls 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 in the state that will exclusively be 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 where adequate security personnel would be deployed.

According to election office sources, photo electoral roll coverage is 99.97 per cent while voter’s photo identity card has been issued to 99.97 per cent in the state.

For the first time, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) would be used along with electronic voting machines in all the polling stations.

For poll day monitoring, SMS-based poll monitor system would be used and vehicles carrying reserve EVMs would be fitted with GPS in all cellular network covered areas, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has banned publication and broadcast of all exit polls from April 11 till May 19 besides campaign activities from Tuesday evening. The Commission is also prohibiting public meeting for 48 hours before voting begins on April 11.

Counting of votes would be conducted on May 23 next.

Also read: Arunachal news