Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 27
Bye-election to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland will take place today.
According to CEO Nagaland, the poll will take place from 7am to 3pm for P-2 polling stations and 7am to 4pm for the rest of the normal polling stations.
Two candidates - Tokheho Yepthomi of NDPP as PDA candidate and C. Apok Jamir as NPF candidate are in the fray for this bye election.
Altogether, 11, 97, 436 electors comprising 6, 07, 589 male and 5, 89, 847 female will exercise their franchise in 2196 polling stations across the state.
211 polling stations have been categorized as vulnerable and 260 as critical.
253 polling stations would have all women polling teams while two polling booths in Wokha district would be manned by only differently-able polling personnel. Around 500 polling stations will have either live web screening or off-line videography.
The ECI has decided to use EVMs and VVPATs in this bye-election in all the polling stations. 3196 EVMs and 3075 VVPAT machines had been dispatched for all the polling stations. 40 companies of Central Armed Police Forces along with 80 companies of the Nagaland Armed Police, 770 home guards and 2600 village guards have been deployed for poll.
The last Lok Sabha election in Nagaland in 2014 registered voters turn out at 88.25% and 90.26% in 2009.
Nagaland chief electoral officer Abhijit Sinha said that all arrangements have been made for free and peaceful conduct of the poll. He requested the citizen of Nagaland to cast their votes in ethical and informed manner.
Nagaland Commissioner & Returning Officer, M. Patton informed that the overall law and order situation in the state is normal and congenial for the conduct of the polls.
The ECI informed that all voters who have been issued Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) shall produce the EPIC for their identification at the polling station before casting their votes. However, those electors who are not able to produce the EPIC shall produce one of the following alternative photo identity documents for establishing their identity.
Passport, driving licence, service identity card with photograph issued to employees by central/state government, PSUs/ public limited companies, passbooks with photographs issued by bank/post office, PAN card, smart card issued by RGI under NPR, MNREGA job card, health insurance smart card issued under the scheme of ministry of labour, pension document with photograph, authenticated photo vote slip issued by the election machinery and official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs.
Counting of votes will take place on May 31.
