Polling official, IRBn jawan die in Arunachal Pradesh during polling

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: A polling official and a constable of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn) died, while three others were admitted to hospitals due to heart attack, during the simultaneous polls held on Friday in Arunachal Pradesh, an election official said.

Polling Officer Changdam Yangchang, deployed at Balupothar polling station in Bordumsa under Changlang district, died on way to hospital after suffering a heart stroke during polling on Friday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain told a press conference, on Saturday.

Passang Dondup, A constable of the 4th IRBn, died at Tamen in Kamle district while on naka duty, the CEO said. S.K. Paul, a presiding officer deployed in Upper Siang district suffered a major stroke during polling and he was later shifted to Dibrugarh in Assam, the CEO said adding, his condition is stable.

"Dinesh Kumar Panda, a central armed police force personnel from Odisha, who was deployed in Kurung Kumey district on election duty also suffered stroke during the day and was immediately shifted to Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) and under ventilation," Sain said adding, the Commission is trying to shift him outside for better medical care.

The CEO added that Kesang Goiba, the returning officer of Rumgong under Siang district, also suffered a heart attack and is presently undergoing treatment at a hospital in East Siang district.

"An amount of Rs 15 lakh will be paid as ex-gratia to the officer who died on duty while, others will be paid as per the prescribed norms of the Election Commission," Sain said.

Polling for simultaneous elections for two Lok Sabha seats and 50 assembly constituencies in the northeastern state was held on Friday. The ruling BJP has already won ten seats in the 60-member assembly, unopposed.

The CEO added that the state recorded a 76.44 per cent polling for the assembly polls while the turnout in the Parliamentary polls for the East seat was 76.37 percent and for the West seat was 70.11 percent respectively.

In the assembly polls, Changlang South and Kanubari constituencies recorded the highest turnout with 91 percent while the state capital recorded a low turnout of 33 percent, he said.

The CEO added that re-poll is likely to be held in five polling stations, including four in Upper Subansiri and one in Kurung Kumey district.

Sain said that as many as 2212 polling parties have already returned from their respective polling stations while 14 from remote booths including, seven from Tali constituency in Kurung Kumey, two each from Siang and Dibang Valley districts and three from Upper Siang district, are on their way.

 Also Read: Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, BJP leader kidnapped in Arunachal Pradesh's Longding district (sentinelassam.com)

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