Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
Polling for the Assembly in Nagaland and Meghalaya began at 7 am on 27 February. Here’s a quick look at the elections in numbers:
A total of 370 candidates are in the fray in Meghalaya. An estimated 18.4 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise across the 3,083 polling stations in the state.
Ahead of the polls, Meghalaya's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) FR Kharkongor told reporters that for the first time ever, 67 all-women polling stations and 61 model polling stations had been set up. In another first, 32 women candidates are in the fray for the polls – the state’s best statistics in this regard yet. The Meghalaya CEO told PTI that six of the 10 additional companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed in the troubled East and South Garo Hills districts.
Also Read: Meghalaya Polls 2018: Regional Parties Likely to Play Kingmaker
On the other hand, the election process began on a rather difficult note in Nagaland. The state is home to 11,91,513 voters – 6,01,707 men and 5,89,806 women. There are also 5,925 service voters.
Voting will be conducted in 2,156 polling stations as 40 polling stations fall under the Northern Angami-II seat, from where ex-CM Neiphiu Rio was declared elected unopposed. Nagaland also boasts 177 all-women polling stations across 25 constituencies
Over 15,000 government employees have been deployed be on poll duty. As many as 281 companies of the CAPF, besides the state police force, are deployed throughout Nagaland to ensure a peaceful election.
Also Read: Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland Elections 2018: All You Need to Know
Following a no-election diktat from the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO), advocating "solution (to the Naga political issue) before election", the political parties had initially kept away from the poll process.
Also Read: ‘Nagaland Needs A Strong, Stable Govt’: PM Modi Ahead of Polls
Though the process of nomination-filing had started on 31 January, the first batch of 22 contestants filed their candidature only on the penultimate day on 5 February. There was a heavy rush of nominees filing their papers on the last day.
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