Shillong, Feb 22 (IANS) More than 70 per cent of the 13 lakh voters cast their ballots in the two politically important tribal autonomous district councils in Meghalaya on Friday and the voting was held peacefully with some minor incidents of violence, officials said.
Voting was held in the 29 constituencies in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and 29 constituencies in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), two powerful tribal autonomous bodies under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Officials said that polling was affected after unidentified miscreants ransacked four polling stations and damaged the Electronic Voting Machines and clashes occurred between the supporters of two political parties.
C.V.D. Diengdoh, Commissioner and Secretary to the District Council Affairs Department, said that given these incidents repolling was ordered in four polling stations and the fresh voting would be held in these polling stations on Saturday.
Election officials said that over 13 lakh voters, including 6,76,467 women, of which more than 70 per cent have cast their votes, decided the fate of 158 candidates in the KHADC election and 114 candidates in the JHADC election.
Since 7 a.m., the electorates, comprising men and women, cast their ballots in 1,798 polling stations in the KHADC and 483 polling stations in JHADC.
Considering various situations and law and order issues, 129 polling stations have been identified as vulnerable and critical in areas under KHADC and 95 in the JHADC.
According to the officials, a huge contingent of security forces has been deployed in both the council areas to ensure free, fair, and smooth conduct of elections.
The counting of votes will be held on Monday (February 24).
The principal electoral contenders in the two tribal autonomous bodies are the National People’s Party (NPP) headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, the Voice of People’s Party (VPP), the United Democratic Party, and the Congress.
However, the main fight between KHADC and JHADC would be between the NPP and the VPP.
Like Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura, Meghalaya also has three such tribal autonomous bodies under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to uplift the socio-economic, traditional, and cultural aspects of the tribals.
Besides the KHADC and the JHADC, the third autonomous body in Meghalaya is the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council.
–IANS
sc/khz
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