Polling Peaceful and High in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Exit Polls Predict NDPP-BJP Retaining Power in Nagaland and Hung House in Meghalaya, Tripura
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Barring some stray incidents, polling ended peacefully in both Meghalaya and Nagaland recording high turnout with more than 80 per cent of the voters exercising their franchise on Monday.
Both States have a 60-member House. But voting was held in 59 constituencies each as a BJP candidate was declared winner unopposed in Nagaland while a candidate of the United Democratic Party died in Meghalaya.
Exit polls by various channels predicted a hung house in Meghalaya, a sweeping win for NDPP, backed by the BJP in Nagaland to retain power and Tipra Motha, the new party of the tribals, to emerge the kingmaker in Tripura with the ruling BJP going down below the majority mark of 31 seats.
Meghalaya’s Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor said incomplete reports suggested 77.55% polling about an hour before close of voting and the final figure could be closer to the 2018 mark of 85.59% when reports from the remote centres come in.
His Nagaland counterpart, V. Shashank Shekhar said 84.8% of the State’s 13.17 lakh electors had cast their votes. “We are still expecting the final reports results from 171 polling stations where voting continued beyond the closing time of 4 p.m.,” he said. The turnout in Nagaland was 83.85% in 2018.
Polling in the two north-eastern States was by and large peaceful. Three persons were injured in Akuk village under the Bhandari constituency in Wokha district when supporters of one candidate attacked those of another. There were reports of some extremists intimidating voters in favour of certain candidates in some districts.
The polling in Meghalaya was marked by a case of proxy voting when Shillong resident, Bir Kumar Rai found out that his vote in the city’s Nongrim Hills was cast by one Brij Kumar Rai. East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, S.C. Sadhu said the polling team was replaced after the faux pas.
