Gangtok/Itanagar: Voting for Assembly polls in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh ended at 6 AM. 69.58 per cent votes were polled in Arunachal Pradesh while the voter turnout in Sikkim stood at 70.80 per cent.
Here are the updates:
- 7.31 PM
The voter turnout in Arunachal Pradesh was recorded at 69.58 per cent while the voter turnout in Sikkim stood at 70.80 per cent.
- 5.58 PM
The voter turnout in Arunachal Pradesh was recorded at 65.86 per cent till 5 PM, while the voter turnout in Sikkim stood at 67.95 per cent in Sikkim. In Arunachal Pradesh, 81 per cent was recorded in the Kamle Assembly constituency, while 82.60 per cent of voting was registered at the Lower Subasiri seat till 5 PM. 82.60 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Pakke Kessang constituency till 5 PM.
- 4.47 PM
Former Sikkim Chief Minister and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) leader Pawan Chamling cast his vote in Namchi. Chamling told news agency ANI, "The people are not able to vote independently because the ruling party is threatening the people. There have also been some violent incidents... This is what I heard but overall, people are casting their vote."
- 3.37 PM
Around 55.23 per cent of votes were polled in Arunachal Pradesh till 3 PM. The voter turnout in Sikkim was 52.72 per cent.
- 1.56 PM
An estimated 38 per cent of the total 8,92,694 voters exercised their franchise till 1 PM on Friday in Arunachal Pradesh where polling for two Lok Sabha seats and 50 assembly constituencies is underway, officials said.
- 1.54 PM
Over 36.75 per cent of the 4.64 lakh voters in Sikkim have exercised their franchise till 1 pm on Friday for 32 Assembly seats and in the lone Lok Sabha constituency, an official said.
- 12.02 PM
21.20 per cent of voting was recorded in Sikkim while 19.46 per cent of voting was recorded in Arunachal Pradesh till 11 AM.
- 10.22 AM
Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang said, "...Our biggest issue is the development of the state. Our party has done the work that could not be done by the previous govt in the last 25 years. In the last 5 years, our party workers have won the hearts of the people. We are sure that our party will win 32 out of 32 Assembly seats. For the first time in the history of Sikkim, such a peaceful election is taking place".
- 9.42 AM
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu cast his vote at a polling station in Tawang. He 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".
- 9.36 AM
Till 9 AM, 6.62 % of voting was held in Sikkim while 4.48 per cent votes were polled in Arunachal Pradesh.
Sikkim Chief Minister and SKM supremo Prem Singh Tamang, former CM and SDF chief Pawan Kumar Chamling are among the 146 candidates in the fray for 32 assembly seats which will go to the polls on Friday amid elaborate security arrangements in the Himalayan state.
Tamang, who is spearheading the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM)'s bid to retain power, is contesting from two assembly seats, Rhenock in Gangtok district and Soreng-Chakung in his native Soreng district. The SKM chief, who is seeking a seventh consecutive term as MLA, is locked in a multi-cornered contest in both assembly constituencies with former minister and SDF nominee Som Nath Poudyal being his main challenger in Rhenock assembly constituency, while SDF candidate AD Subba is his main opponent in Soreng-Chakung assembly constituency.
The SKM supremo's wife Krishna Kumari is contesting from the Namchi-Singhithang assembly constituency where she is locked in a quadrangular contest in which the SDF has put up Bimal Rai.
Sikkim Democratic Front chief Pawan Kumar Chamling is seeking a record ninth term as MLA. He is contesting from two assembly constituencies, Poklok-Kamrang in Namchi district and Namcheybung in Gangtok district. The 74-year-old Chamling is facing former bureaucrat and SKM nominee Raju Basnet, besides two women candidates, Pooja Sharma (BJP) and Severine Rai (CAP-Sikkim) in a quadrangular contest in Namcheybung assembly constituency.
In the Poklok-Kamrang assembly constituency, the SDF patriarch is locked in a quadrangular contest with Bhoj Raj Rai of SKM being the other main candidate.
SDF vice president and former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia is trying his luck from the Barfung (BL) seat in Namchi district where he is being challenged by the SKM's RD Bhutia in a quadrangular contest. Sikkim unit BJP president and the sitting MLA D R Thapa is contesting from the Upper Burtuk assembly constituency where the SKM's Kala Rai is another prominent candidate.
The SKM and SDF have put up candidates on all 32 assembly seats followed by BJP (31), CAP-Sikkim (30) and Congress (12). An estimated 4.64 lakh electorate, comprising 2,32,381 male voters and 2,31,545 females will be eligible to exercise their franchise to elect 32 MLAs.
There are 2,502 third-gender voters, while 4,192 voters belong to the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category and 2,473 voters are senior citizens above 85 years.
The Election Commission has arranged for Assured Minimum Facilities along with accessibility-friendly infrastructure for PwDs and senior citizens in all polling stations, according to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) D Ananadan.
There are a total of 573 polling stations comprising 88 polling stations in urban areas and 485 in rural areas. Adequate CAPF forces and micro-observers will be deputed at critical polling stations which will also have webcasting arrangements, the CEO said.
The CEO said that 32 all-women polling teams have been set up in Sikkim, while six model polling stations too have been set up for the convenience of voters. Anandan said that 81 sector magistrates, 71 sector police officers, 97 flying squads, 89 static surveillance teams, 62 video surveillance teams and 32 assistant expenditure observers have been appointed to maintain law and order and enforce the model code of conduct.
Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya has urged the people of Sikkim to turn out in large numbers at polling booths to exercise their franchise on April 19.
In Arunachal Pradesh, voting will be held on all the 60 seats and it will begin at 7 AM. The BJP has fielded candidates on all the 60 seats but it has already won 10 seats even before votes are polled.
The India Meteorological Centre (IMD) has forecast moderate to high rainfall in the northeastern state during the poll day. "We have arranged temporary shelters with all basic facilities in the polling booths where people can wait if the weather is not conducive," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain said.
The Election Commission has also arranged special facilities for the 5,596 voters who are persons with disability (PwD), including transportation to polling booths and installation of ramps, the CEO said. Polling officials for remote booths have already reached their destinations, Sain said.
There are 228 polling stations in the state out of the total 2,226, which could be reached only on foot. As many as 480 polling booths fall under shadow areas, while 588 booths have been identified as critical and 443 as vulnerable. An estimated 8,92,694 voters including 4,54,256 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise and decide the electoral fate of 133 candidates in the assembly polls. Elaborate security arrangements have been made to conduct peaceful polling in the state with the deployment of 70 companies of central armed police forces (CAPF) including the India Reserve Battalion and state police forces.
The BJP had fielded 60 candidates in all the assembly seats while the opposition Congress put up 19 nominees, the National People's Party (NPP) 20, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 14 and the People's Party of Arunachal 11. There are also 14 independent candidates in the fray.
Among the key candidates in the fray are Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who will be contesting the polls from the Mukto (ST) seat, Arunachal BJP chief Biyuram Wahge (Pakke-Kessang ST seat) and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein (Chowkhan-ST) assembly constituency.
