Gangtok/Itanagar: Voting concluded for the Sikkim and the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly polls on Friday. According to the data provided by the Election Commission of India (ECI), a voter turnout of 69.40 per cent was recorded in Arunachal Pradesh, while a voter turnout of 70.39 per cent was registered in Sikkim.
Voting was held for all 32 Assembly seats in Sikkim, while it was held in all 60 Assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh. The voting began at 7 AM and concluded at 6 PM in both the states located in the North-East.
In Arunachal Pradesh, 63.90 per cent of votes were polled in Along East, while 65.28 per cent of votes were polled in Along West constituency. A whopping 91.63 per cent votes were polled in Changlang South, 75 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Tawang, while 82.60 per cent votes were polled in Pakke-kasang seat, as per the ECI.
However, only 27.66 per cent of votes were polled in the Pangin seat in Arunachal Pradesh. A voter turnout of 45.10 per cent was recorded in Bameng.
In Sikkim, 63.66 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Gangtok, while a staggering 82.39 per cent votes were polled in Barfung. 73 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Namthang-rateypanui seat, as per the ECI data.
Among the prominent personalities who exercised their franchise were Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, former Sikkim CM and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) leader Pawan Chamling, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Pawan Chamling cast his vote in Namchi. Both Prem Singh Tamang and Chamling were among the 146 candidates in the fray in Sikkim. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu cast his vote at a polling station in Tawang.
The Sikkim CM expressed confidence in winning all 32 seats on the back of the development work done by his government.
Pema Khandu on his part, said, "Today is the mega festival of democracy and voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections is underway. I expect that the number of voters this year will surpass the number of voters in 2019. BJP is going to make history in the state. We will also win both Lok Sabha seats. In the previous election, BJP got 41 seats and we hope that this time BJP will get 60 out of 60 seats".
The counting of votes in both these states will be held on June 2.
