Kohima/Shillong: Nearly 13 percent voter turnout was recorded till 9 am Monday in the Nagaland Assembly polls currently underway in 59 of the 60 constituencies amid tight security, election officials said.
Men, women and first-time voters in large numbers queued up outside polling stations well before the voting started at 7 am in 16 districts.
The election officials said that no untoward incident has been reported so far from any of the 59 constituencies.
Voting in 2,291 polling stations, manned by 11,500 staff, will continue till 4 pm.
Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V Shashank Shekhar said that around 13.16 lakh voters, including 6,55,144 women, would decide the electoral fate of 183 candidates, including four women nominees.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, 190 candidates, including five women, contested the elections.
BJP candidate Kazheto Kinimi was re-elected unopposed from the Akuluto Assembly constituency after his only opponent and Congress nominee Khekashe Sumi withdrew his candidature on the last day of the withdrawal of nominations February 10.
To ensure a free, fair and incident-free election, the Union Home Ministry, at the request of the state government, has provided 305 companies of Central Armed Police Force, while the state security forces have also been deployed across the mountainous state.
In all, 12 political parties comprising national and state parties are in the fray.
The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and its partner Bharatiya Janata Party, opposition Congress and the Naga People’s Front are the main contenders in the poll battle.
Similarly, around 11 percent voter turnout was recorded in the first two hours of voting till 9 am Monday in the Meghalaya Assembly polls conducted in 59 of the 60 constituencies under heavy security measures, election officials said.
Voters of different ages including men, women and first-time voters in large numbers queued up in front of the polling stations much before the voting started at 7 am in 12 districts.
The election officials said that they did not receive any report of untoward incidents so far from any of the 59 constituencies, except some technical hitches of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at a few polling stations.
Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) FR Kharkongor said that a total of 369 candidates, including 36 women, are in the fray.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, 329 candidates, including 32 women, contested.
Around 21.75 lakh electorates, including 10.92 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in Monday’s elections.
In all, 13 political parties, including four having national status — BJP, Congress, National People’s Party (NPP) and Trinamool Congress — are contesting the election.
The BJP and the Congress have put up 60 candidates each, while main opposition Trinamool Congress nominated 56 candidates, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma-led NPP fielded 57 candidates, United Democratic Party (UDP) 46, Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) 11, People’s Democratic Front nine, Gana Suraksha Party one, Garo National Council two, Janata Dal (United) three, Republican Party of India two, Republican Party of India (Athawale) six, Voice of the People Party 18.
In all, 44 Independent candidates are also contesting the elections.
Polling was not held in Sohiong Assembly Constituency in East Khasi Hills district following the death of United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate H. Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh.
The vote count in Meghalaya will take place March 2 along with Nagaland and Tripura.
IANS
