Five companies of central paramilitary forces have been allotted for the deferred Sohiong Assembly poll on May 10, Meghalaya’s Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor informed today.
Polling in Sohiong was adjourned after the demise of United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate HDR Lyngdoh on February 20, one week before the state elections. There are six candidates who have filed their nomination papers for the election, including a replacement candidate from the UDP.
Kharkongor also said that around 60 licensed arms have been deposited and five cases have been registered under Section 107 (relating to providing of a bond of good behaviour) of the CrPC and 24 persons have been bound down under the preventive section. Eight non-bailable warrants have also been executed.
The authorities have set up three police checkpoints on roads in the constituency but no cases of violations of the Model Code of Conduct have been reported so far.
“As of now the preparations are ongoing. We had a detailed review meeting with the District Election Officer, Returning Officer and the police machinery and so far, in terms of electioneering, it is not very high intensity,” Kharkongor said.
The constituency has been divided into two sectors and six zones and the CEO will undertake an inspection of the polling stations.
Sohiong has 63 polling stations and an electorate of more than 34,000. It stretches from the border with Ri-Bhoi right up to Eastern West Khasi Hills, making it a fairly large constituency by area.
As was done for the rest of the state, webcasting will be a feature of the Sohiong poll, with 60 per cent of the polling stations monitored online.
