CEC: Assam border villages people can vote in Meghalaya

Shillong: The Election Commission is committed to ensuring peaceful and transparent general elections in Meghalaya, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said on Friday.

He added that registered voters living in villages along the disputed border with Assam can contest the upcoming assembly elections in Meghalaya.
Kumar led the Election Commission of India (ECI) team on a two-day review of election preparations in Meghalaya. The tour ended at day time.

“People living in the villages along the disputed border can participate in the elections despite what has happened. Both sides have held joint meetings and senior level discussions are also taking place. We are alive to the situation and There is nothing to worry about,” said Kumar.
“There is no problem. We have reviewed the situation at our end and district officials from both sides have held detailed meetings,” he said.

The CEC said the commission has directed 16 central agencies to work in a coordinated manner in cost-sensitive areas.

He said, “The agencies were asked to follow the standard operating procedure to conduct proper checks on the planes and helicopters coming into the state so that no political party or candidate can woo voters with cash.” can be avoided by trying to
Political parties have to publicize the pending cases against candidates with criminal background at least three times in local newspapers and TV channels and explain why such people were nominated.

Kumar said that all steps will be taken to ensure free, fair and participatory elections.
He said that 2.1 lakh voters in the state are eligible to cast their vote on 55 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and five unreserved constituencies.

There would be a total of 3,482 polling stations with an average of 620 voters each, the official said, adding that 120 booths would be manned by women teams.

A total of 81,443 voters will be eligible to vote for the first time.
At least six people, including five tribal villagers from Meghalaya and a forest guard from Assam, were killed in a violent clash along the disputed border in November last year.

Assam and Meghalaya have long-standing disputes over 12 areas along the 884.9 km long inter-state border, and the site where the violence took place is one of them.
The two states signed a memorandum of understanding in March last year to end the dispute in six areas.

Meghalaya was separated from Assam in 1972 and has since challenged the Assam Reorganization Act of 1971, which demarcated the border between the two states.
Elections to the 60-member assembly in Meghalaya are due this year.