Polling begins in Meghalaya

SHILLONG: Polling for the eighth Meghalaya Assembly began at 7 am on Monday amid heavy security.

A total of 12,32,907 voters will exercise their franchise. Interestingly, the number of women electors are 20,000 more than that of men as per the final voters' list.

Six former chief ministers - D D Lapang, Purno A Sangma, Salseng C Marak, E K Mawlong, F A Khonglam and J D Rymbai - are contesting.

In all 331 candidates are in fray. Congress is contesting on all 60 seats while the United Democratic Party came close with 52 candidates. The Nationalist Congress Party has fielded 50 candidates. There are 73 Independents.

Electronic voting machines equipped with specially Braille-code buttons and special ramps for physically challenged persons have been arranged in the polling stations.

A 15,000-strong force of polling personnel has been assigned election duties in 1,599 polling stations across the state. Thirty-nine poll observers and 117 magistrates are overseeing the smooth conduct of the polling.

The polling is being videographed in about 560 'critical' polling stations. Altogether 635 polling stations, mostly those bordering Bangladesh, have been identified as 'hyper-sensitive', while 194 were declared 'sensitive' owing to problems like 'elephant menace' and 'political rivalry'.

As many as 112 companies of security forces have been deployed for free and fair election. The Border Security Force has sealed the international borders deploying around 78 companies.

Both state and central government offices have declared holidays and March 3, 6 and 7 have been declared as dry days.

The polling in Baghmara constituency has been countermanded after sitting Congress MLA S Sangma, who died of cancer after filing his nomination. Polling in this constituency has been re-scheduled for March 22.