Polling ends in Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal

Polling was held today for six Lok Sabha seats in the four northeastern states of Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya besides Arunachal Pradesh where Assembly elections to the 60-member House were also held.

 

Nagaland registered 81.47% polling, Manipur 80%, Meghalaya 71% and Arunachal Pradesh 55%, according to election office sources. Congress candidate in Konsa (W) Assembly constituency in troubled Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh was kidnapped by suspected militants, but was released unharmed later.

 

Polling was not held in a disputed area in Longleng district of Nagaland bordering Assam. Longleng Superintendent of Police James said armed Assam Police and CRPF personnel prohibited the entry of polling officials at Ladaigarh Polling Station (PS) No. 1 under Tamlu Assembly constituency in the district.

 

A mob prevented setting up of standby polling station other than the designated one.

 

In Meghalaya, defying a 12-hour bandh called by a banned separatist group in the Khasi Jaintia hills, voters turned out in large numbers in urban areas, state Chief Electoral Officer P Naik said. 

 

In Arunachal Pradesh, Congress, BJP, NCP and People's Party of Arunachal, besides Independents, were in the fray in the Western and Eastern parliamentary constituencies which have been traditional Congress strongholds since 1975, except in 2004 when BJP made a dent.

 

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Ninong Ering of Congress was pitted against BJP nominee Tarir Gao and PPA'S Wangman Lowangcha in the Eastern parliamentary seat. 

 

After casting his vote at Sagalee, about 137 km from Itanagar, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki said the party would emerge winner in both the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. Tuki was among 11 Congress candidates elected unopposed to the 60-member house.

 

There were 155 candidates including 5 women, in the fray for remaining 49 Assembly seats in the state.

 

In Manipur, 10 contestants from BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, Naga People's Front, NCP, JD(U) and Aam Admi Party, besides three independents were in the fray. 

 

The candidates whose electoral fate was decided were sitting Congress MP Thangso Baite, Gangmumei Kamei (BJP), C Doungel (NCP), Kim Gangte (TMC), Soso Lorho (Naga People's Front), L Gangte (JD-U) and M K Zou (AAP).

 

Elections to the Inner Manipur seat would be held on April 17.

 

In Nagaland, the poll will decide the fate of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the candidate from his Naga People's Front party. 

 

He was pitted against Congress' K V Pusa and Akheu Achumi of Socialist Party (India). 

 

This was the first time that Nagaland webcast poll proceedings in 84 polling stations out of 2,059 stations.