Lone voter casts vote in remote Arunachal Pradesh district bordering China

 ITANAGAR: The unique Malogam polling station in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh recorded cent per cent polling with the lone female voter, exercising her constitutional rights on Friday.

44-year-old Sokela Tayang casted her vote around 1 PM, officials from the district informed. For the single vote a team of polling officials trekked nearly 40 kilometres on foot through treacherous terrain and set up a voting booth in the remote village.

"I am delighted to exercise my franchise and thanked the election authorities for giving me the opportunity to cast my vote," Sokela said. According to election officials, a very few families reside in Malogam, and all but Tayang are registered voters in other polling booths. But she is not willing to shift to any other polling booth.

"It is not always about numbers but it is to ensure that every citizen gets his or her voice heard. Sokela Tayang's vote is a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and equality," said Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain.

The village is in the Hayuliang assembly seat in Anjaw district bordering China and in the Arunachal East Lok Sabha constituency where as many as six candidates are vying for their electoral luck. The main contest, however, will be between Bosiram Siram of the Congress party and sitting MP Tapir Gao of the BJP.

Dasanglu Pul, the BJP MLA from Hayuliang assembly constituency retained the seat this time by winning it unopposed. In the last elections in 2019, Gao won the seat - one of the two constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh - garnering over 1.5 lakh votes. He defeated Lowangcha Wanglat of the Congress party who got 83,935 votes.

In the 2014 elections, the polling booth at Malogam had two voters. The other was Tayang's estranged husband Janelum Tayang, who, however, transferred his name to another booth in the constituency. Tayang doesn't live in the village and her connection to Malogam is tenuous as her daughter and son study in colleges somewhere else.

Of the total 2,226 polling stations in the state, 228 can be reached only by foot. Of these, 61 will require a two-day walk, while seven would need three-day trekking.

Counting of votes for assembly polls would be held on June 2, while votes polled for Lok Sabha would be counted on June 4.

Over 66 percent voter turnout in Arunachal amid sporadic incidents of violence

ITANAGAR, April 19: Amid reports of sporadic violence and EVM snatching bids from a few districts in Arunachal Pradesh, over 66 percent of voting was recorded on Friday in the northeastern state where polling for two Lok Sabha seats and 50 assembly constituencies was held, the election officials said.

The state recorded 67.13 percent polling in the parliamentary polls and 65.79 percent in the assembly polls. The polling percent will increase as polling is still going on in many districts, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawang Kumar Sain told the reporters.

Supporters of two candidates clashed near a polling station in Bameng constituency in East Kameng district which compelled the district election authority to suspend polling, the CEO said and added that miscreants tried to snatch EVMs in three polling stations under Nacho constituency in Upper Subansiri district and in one in Kurung Kumey district, where polling was also suspended.

As many as 42 persons were injured in poll-related violence, the CEO said and added that the persons involved in violence have been identified and action against them have been initiated. "Re-polling in these polling stations is likely to be held," Sain said. He added the turnout was moderate in the morning hours due to inclement weather and it gained momentum only in the evening.

"The presiding officers in various stations where polling is still going on, had issued slips to the voters at around 4.45 PM so that they could continue polling as per Election Commission norms," he said and added that the polling was peaceful in the state. Sain also informed polling was delayed in several polling stations as the electronic voting machines (EVMs) developed technical snags.

We replaced 8 controlling units (CUs) and 34 VVPATs in polling stations where voting for Parliamentary seats was conducted, 16 CUs and 33 VVPATS were replaced in polling stations where polling was conducted for assembly polls, the CEO disclosed.

The ruling BJP has already won ten seats unopposed in the 60-member assembly. Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju, Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy CM Chowna Mein exercised their franchise this morning.

Rijiju cast his vote in his village Nafra in the newly created Bichom district, while Khandu exercised his franchise at a government secondary school in Bomba, from where he did his schooling, in Mukto constituency in Tawang district, the officials said. Mein also exercised his franchise at Chowkham.

Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik and his wife Anagha Parnaik cast their votes at polling station-1 at P Sector government secondary school. I had cast my vote as per the Constitutional privilege I have and I appeal to all the voters of the state to exercise their franchise and make our democracy a success, the governor told the reporters.

The voters would decide the fate of 133 candidates in the assembly elections and 14 Lok Sabha poll contestants. In the Arunachal West parliamentary seat, eight candidates, including Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and state Congress president Nabam Tuki, are in the fray.

Also read: Arunachal Pradesh: Arunachal Pradesh Prepares for Polls Amid Rain Threat (sentinelassam.com)

Also Watch: