The final day of polling ended on an embarrassing note for the Election Commission as five polling stations in Nagaland’s Sanis Assembly constituency where re-polling was to take place reported “zero” turnout.
Polling officials waited for electors since morning at the five poll booths under 39-Sanis Assembly Constituency of Wokha district, but not a single voter turned up, said Temjen Toy, Returning Officer (RO) for lok Sabha polls in Nagaland. According to EC officials, there was no official communication from the voters behind the ‘nil’ turnout. However, Toy indicated that villagers had resented order for re-poll.
This Assembly segment comprises 2,2104 electors of which majority are women (1,1074). Interestingly, during the Assembly elections held in the State in 2013, this constituency registered a turnout of 98.15 per cent. Polling for the lone lok Sabha seat was held on April 9 and out of the total 11,82,948 voters in the State, around 88 per cent voters exercised their franchise. The contest was to determine the fate of three candidates in the fray, which included Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is fighting on ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF), KV Pusa of Congress and Akhei Achumi of Socialist Party (India).
The Congress submitted a complaint to the EC on April 25 alleging that the April 9 elections had been marred with massive “proxy” voting and election malpractices. It demanded re-poll in over 1,300 polling stations.
Considering the representation, the EC made enquiries from the local and district officers. It ordered re-polling at 10-lakhuti-I, 11-lakhuti-II, 13-lakhuti-IV, 36-lakhuti-VII and 37-lakhuti-VIII, under sub section (2) of section 58 of the Representation of People Act 1951, stating that the polls on April 9 were void.
The ruling NPF, however, lodged a complaint with the EC opposing re-polling and alleged that the move was ordered on “mere allegations” of the Congress. Irrespective of the “nil” result in the re-poll, the EC announced that the election process in the State was over as elaborate security was put in place ahead of Friday’s counting of votes.