All arrangements made for Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll: CEO

Kohima: All arrangements have been made for the peaceful conduct of the bypoll to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland tomorrow, Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said.

A total of 11,97,436 electorate, comprising 6,07,589 men and 5,89,847 women voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise, the CEO told reporters here yesterday.

The counting of votes will take place on May 31.

Out of the 2196 polling stations, 260 are declared as “critical” and 211 as “vulnerable”, Sinha said.

Voting in 1855 polling stations will start at 7 am and end at 4 pm while in 309 booths it was end an hour ahead, he said, adding that 253 polling stations would have all women polling teams while two polling booths in Wokha district would be manned by only differently abled polling personnel.

The CEO said that 225 polling stations would have live web screening and 257 off-line videography.

He said that 3196 EVMs and 3075 VVPAT machines had been dispatched for all the polling stations.

A total of 40 companies of Central Armed Police Forces along with 80 companies of the Nagaland Armed Police, 770 home guards and 2600 village guards have been deployed for the bypoll, he said.

Returning Officer M Patton said that during campaigning, various forces had seized Rs 84,000 and 8829 litres of liquor.

The by-poll is a straight contest between ruling Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidate Tokheho Yepthomi and opposition NPF nominee C Apok Jamir.

The Lok Sabha bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Neiphiu Rio from the Lok Sabha to contest the Nagaland Assembly election in February. Rio is presently the chief minister of the state.