Nagaland, Meghalaya to vote amid tight security

KOHIMA: Amid sporadic incidents of violence over the last one week, Nagaland will go to the polls on Monday amid tight security.


Polling will begin at 7am and conclude at 4 pm.

Unidentified persons fired three rounds after entering the private residence of Hazadisa village council chairman in Dimapur and fled the spot on Saturday evening. “The vehicle in which they came has been found by enforcement agencies and is in police custody,” said an election official. After the BJP candidate won uncontested in Akuluto constituency, polling will be held in 2,291 polling stations in 59 constituencies. While polling officials were already dispatched to 268 polling stations located in far-flung areas two days prior to election, in the remaining 1,997 polling stations, polling officials alongwith the security personnel were dispatched on Sunday.

Nagaland chief electoral officer’s office said by 3 pm, 1,217 teams of polling officials reached as many polling stations across the state. Many were traversing through difficult hilly terrain till evening. “All polling teams must arrive at their destinations by tonight. In Mon and Kiphire districts, the challenge is enormous considering the difficult hilly terrain and areas close to the Myanmar border in Mon,” Nagaland deputy chief electoral officer and spokesperson for the election, Alila Chang, told TOI here on Sunday. Preventing proxy voters is going to be a major concern in Nagaland — a practice reported in the past from several districts.