Some Rs 51.27 crore in cash and kind, including drugs, have been seized by the authorities in the run-up to the February 27 election, Chief Electoral Officer of Meghalaya, Frederick Roy Kharkongor, informed today.
A total of 119 companies of central forces have been allotted to the state for the election, of which 40 have already been deployed. Another 79 will arrive in Meghalaya following the Tripura Assembly election, which will take place on February 16.
Kharkongor said that up to the night of February 9, seizures totalled Rs 51.27 crore, out of which Rs 6 crore was in cash and more than Rs 23 crore in the form of drugs and narcotics. The figure is only expected to rise in the coming days.
The entry points into the state that are the most vulnerable are Umiam and Umkiang areas. Urban areas are also vulnerable while there are pockets and transit points in Garo Hills and Khasi-Jaintia Hills too.
Apart from central forces, state police, police observers, expenditure observers and general observers have all been deployed across the state to ensure that the vote goes off in a free and fair manner.
On last week’s Phulbari clash between supporters of rival parties, he said that 15 of those arrested by police are National People’s Party workers and 16 are from the Trinamool Congress.
“If there is any incident of violence, it is more of an aberration; it is not the norm,” Kharkongor said. “So, we hope and we anticipate, barring a few isolated incidents, that polling will be conducted peacefully and be free and fair.”
