The District Council Affairs (DCA) has ordered re-polling at four polling stations in East Jaintia Hills where voting to the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) was disrupted after unidentified persons vandalised and damaged the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The polling will be held tomorrow from 7 am to 4 pm and strong security forces have been deployed, the DCA informed.
DCA Commissioner and Secretary Cyril VD Diengdoh said re-polling will be held at Wapung School A and Wapung School B polling stations under Musniang-Rangad constituency and Bataw A and Bataw B under Bataw-Lakadong constituency. All these four polling stations have been identified as high risk constituencies.
“At present, due to the damage to the EVMs, the rule allows us to hold re-poll under rule 143B (1). If there is any damage to the EVMs, we have ordered re-casting of votes for a clean and fair election,” he said.
Diengdoh said unidentified persons had broken into these four polling stations and damaged the EVMs. He said the reason behind the vandalism at these polling stations will have to be investigated.
Asked if security forces deployed to these polling stations was adequate, Diengdoh said, “The security forces were present at these polling stations but this was a mobs who attacked the security forces and the election officers had to be evacuated to nearby medical centres because they were scared. However, the district authorities have taken action and no one has been injured. All our people were unharmed except for the damage to the EVMs.”
Meanwhile, the East Jaintia Hills district magistrate has promulgated Section 163 BNSS in Wapungskur and Bataw villages prohibiting the assembly of more than five persons in and around the villages, except at the polling station for voting.
The order prohibits carrying of arms or lethal weapons, obstruction to free movement of people and acts that disturbs public order and general peace.
“Such activities are likely to persist, posing a grave threat to public peace and tranquillity, with the potential to escalate into violence, endangering lives and property,” the district magistrate said.
