Guwahati, April 17: Fears of widespread violence proved unfounded as the first phase of polling in 10 of the 24 parliamentary seats in the Northeast was peaceful, barring stray incidents of violence, but the democratic exercise in Nagaland turned into a mockery with allegations of rampant proxy voting.
The turnout was between 48 and 85 per cent. Repolling was ordered at three polling centres in Manipur and 12 centres in Arunachal Pradesh. In Manipur, officials confirmed 70 per cent polling but said it could increase as information from several polling centres was still awaited.
Elsewhere in the country, Maoists killed 18 people in Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa during the first phase of polling today and looted several electronic voting machines.
A jeep carrying poll officials was blown up in Rajnandgaon, 75km from the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur. Five officials were killed on the spot and two were injured, inspector-general of police (Durg) Mukesh Gupta said. Zonal officer A.K. Acharya was among the dead.
Naxalites struck at a dozen places across the state, looting nine EVMs and exchanging fire with security forces at various sites in Dantewada and Narainpur districts, 350km and 250km respectively from Raipur. Two CRPF jawans died of bullet wounds and five were injured at Maruki in Dantewada.
In Nagaland, even without a boycott call or threats, the electorate was indifferent. In some villages and colonies in Kohima, gaonburhas (village headmen) had to come out on the streets and request voters to cast their votes. In some booths, election agents of political parties had to force passersby to cast proxy votes. Under-age boys and girls voted with gay abandon.
No political party could give concrete reasons for the indifference which largely, according to some voters, had to do with same old rhetoric about the Naga political problem, corruption-free government, transparency, accountability so on and so forth.
But the turnout for the four Assembly byelections was high according to Nagaland CEO C.J. Ponraj. The seats are Chizami, Tizit, Tuensang Sadar-II and Dimapur-II. “I am satisfied with the election process this time,” the CEO said putting the turnout at 85 per cent.
Arunachal East recorded 63 per cent while Arunachal West recorded 59.5 per cent, for a state average of 61.45 per cent even as the Opposition BJP accused the ruling Congress of “massive rigging” and several incidents of “booth capturing” in Papum Pare, Ziro, Daporijo and West Kameng districts of the state.
The turnout was healthy in the three seats of Assam — Silchar, Karimganj and Diphu — with election officials in Silchar, Karimganj and Haflong towns indicating an average of 65 per cent voting.
Much enthusiasm was seen among the voters in Silchar town who turned up in large numbers. Damage to a couple of EVMs in Katlicherra, drowning of an EVM in a pond in Algapur and two cadres coming to blows in Silchar town’s Malugram locality were the only aberrations in an otherwise smooth polling that would decide the fate of Union minister Sontosh Mohan Dev, the BJP’s Kabindra Purkayastha and AUDF president Badruddin Ajmal.
Dev has pleaded with the Election Commission for repolling in the four polling stations under the Kathigorah Assembly segment under Silchar seat alleging that there was widespread proxy voting. Two policemen were injured when the police fired in the air at Borthal tea estate under Lakhipur subdivision in Cachar district, part of Silchar Lok Sabha constituency, for dispersing a group of rampaging tea workers there. Official sources added the labourers ran away when the police opened fire.
Assam CEO Hemanta Narzary this evening put the percentage of Karimganj at 60.88 per cent, Silchar at 63.71 and Diphu at 60.40.
The voting percentage for these 10 seats in 2004 elections were: In 2004, the turnout was 68.5 per cent in Karimganj, 69.18 per cent in Silchar and 69.29 percent in Autonomous District (Diphu). There will be repelling in station no. 41 of Katlicherra in Karimganj because EVMs and voting papers were damaged.
However, polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram ended on a lacklustre and desultory note as only 48 per cent cast their votes in comparison to 63.38 per cent in the 2004 polls. Deputy chief electoral officer in Mizoram, Lalhmingthanga, said the turnout reflected the indifference of the voters to national issues.
There was also not much enthusiasm in either Meghalaya’s two seats — Shillong and Tura — that went to polls under President’s rule. Like the low-profile election campaigning due to the political instability in the state, polling was also a low-key affair. Tura registered over 67 per cent voter turnout while Shillong 68 per cent.
In Manipur, voters in seven Assembly constituencies in Thoubal district turned out in large numbers as Outer Manipur went to the polls today.
Barring some stray incidents of attempts to disrupt the polling and damage of an EVM, polling went off peacefully. Polling was cancelled at a polling booth in Tamenglong district after reports of booth capturing. Similarly, polling was cancelled in one polling booth each in Tamenglong and Senapati districts. Chief electoral officer Shambhu Singh said barring some stray incidents, polling was brisk and peaceful. The poll percentage is expected to be over 85 per cent7
