Chizokho Vero
Kohima | April 7
Kohima | April 7
Nagaland will go for Lok Sabha polls on April 9, along with Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Three candidates are in the fray, which include Neiphiu Rio- NPF, KV Pusa- INC and Akhei Achumi- Socialist Party (India).
Polling hours is from 7:00am to 4:00pm, informed Sentiyanger Imchen, chief electoral officer Nagaland, at press conference here today. Counting of vote will take place on May 16.
11, 82, 948 VOTERS
There will be 2059 polling stations to facilitate 11, 82, 948 voters including 5, 376 service voters (6,00, 490 male and 5, 82, 458 female). 36, 159 are first time voters in the age group of 18-19 years. The highest number of voters in assembly constituency segment is Dimapur II A/C with 47, 086 voters while Mokokchung Town A/C has lowest voters with 5, 772 voters. The highest number of voters is polling station No. 28 at Ganeshnagar under Dimapur III A/C with 2171 voters and the lowest number of voters with 32 voters is polling station No. 57 at Yankili under Bhandari A/C under Wokha district.
10, 295 GOVT SERVANTS
FOR ELECTION DUTY
Around 10, 295 government servants will be deployed on election duty. The polling personnel will be selected through a three stage computer assisted randomization process. “This has been introduced to avoid any favoritism and to ensure absolute objectivity and secrecy in formation of polling groups,” said the CEO.
2059 EVMS FOR POLLS
2059 EVMs will be used. For the first time the voters are given an option where a button with ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option will be there on the voting machine.
EPIC
Nagaland along with Assam will be the first states in India to use plastic Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC). So far, 11, 20, 888 voters have been issued EPIC. Electors who are not able to produce their EPIC, shall produce alternative photo identity documents.
SVEEP
As directed by ECI, Systematic Voters Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities were undertaken in Nagaland in order to educate the voters on ethical, informed and indictment free voting. Along with the state SVEEP campaign, Youthnet Nagaland is also taking part in mobilizing the youth to practice systematic voting and clean election process by conducting an orientation programme.
WEBCASTING
Nagaland will be webcasting the proceedings of the polling in 84 polling booths. The public can access the webcast at www.ceonagaland.nic.in on April 9 from 7:00am to 4:00pm.
ELECTION DUTY CERTIFICATE
This time, the ECI has decided that only Election Duty Certificate (EDC) would be issued in the state and postal ballot would not be used, except for service voters. All officers and police personnel on election related duty would be eligible for EDC.
ELECTION OBSERVERS
ECI has appointed five observers for Nagaland, 2 for general, 2 for expenditure and 1 as police observer.
SECURITY ARRANGEMENT
14, 735 security personnel have been deployed for polling duty comprising of DEF, NAP, HG, VGs, NAPTC/PTC, 8 Coys CRPF, 7 Coys SAP (Mizoram) and 10 Coys TSR (Tripura). 1536 polling stations have been identified as normal, 429 polling stations as vulnerable and 94 as critical.
CEO APPEALS
The Nagaland CEO has appealed to all registered voters to reinforce democratic ethos, entrenched in Naga tradition, by turning up at the polling station on April 9 and exercise their right to vote in an informed and ethical manner.
