BJP puts Gogoi grit to test

Guwahati: With more than 50,000 central armed police force personnel on guard, the Election Commission (EC) is ready to conduct the first round of polls in 65 of the 126 constituencies on Monday. However, this time, there’s a difference.

In 134 of the 12,190 polling stations, which have been developed as ‘model’ polling stations, the EC has made arrangements to felicitate the oldest voter by letting him or her plant a sapling. For children who accompany their mothers to the booth, there will be free sweetmeats and candies. These model stations will each have a welcoming group ushering in every voter, a medical team and an eatery.

Polling begins from 7am and will continue till 5pm on Monday.

The EC has taken measures to ensure peaceful polling in the state which often sees communal violence. State chief electoral officer (CEO) Vijayendra said, “Right from the day the notification was issued, the biggest challenge has been to see that the situation is not vitiated by religion- or caste-based violence. So far, it has been peaceful.”

The EC’s eyes will be fixed on 1,241 polling stations categorized as ‘critical’, where 90% votes were cast and more than 70% of the votes were in favour of a certain party in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. “These polling stations will be under strict surveillance. The election process in 539 such polling stations will be webcast. In 454 booths, the process will be videographed with a static video camera. In the remaining 736, there will be micro observers,” Vijayendra said.

The EC also overcame the challenge of taking its officials to remote stations across difficult terrain on time. The CEO said polling officials even travelled on foot to some polling stations in Karimganj, Majuli and Hamren constituencies.

“We have boats to carry men and material to some areas. All our polling officials have reached the polling stations,” the CEO said.

Except in Sadiya constituency, located in the extreme northeastern corner of the state, all EVMs will be brought to the district strongrooms on the day of the polling. “Since Sadiya is on both banks of the Brahmaputra, EVMs from the south bank will have to be transported to the north bank the next day,” the CEO added.

In Karimganj and Hailakandi constituencies, where the number of contestants is more than 16, two ballot units will be used instead of one.

The CEO said the EC’s flying squads have so far seized cash amounting over Rs 9.92 crore, over 5 lakh litre of liquor, 5 lakh mg of drugs, 166 illegal arms and over 500 rounds of ammunition.