Adjourned poll in Ladaigarh, repoll in two polling stations on May 10

Principal Correspondent
KOHIMA, MAY 7

THE Election Commission of India today ordered conduct of adjourned poll in Ladaigarh polling station under 49-Tamlu Assembly constituency in Longleng district, declaring as void the scheduled poll in the polling station on April 9. The adjourned poll will be held from 7 am to 4 pm on May 10. In an order, the Commission said the polls be held in an “alternative place” in the nearby location that is “not in dispute”.
The order also stated that the conduct of the polls is “an ad-hoc arrangement” without prejudice to the respective claims of the two State governments in regard to the disputed border areas, which is presently “sub-judice.”
Mention may be made here that 302 voters of Ladaigarh polling station No. 1 were denied of their right to exercise the franchise due to the forceful occupation of the designated polling station (GPS Ladaigarh) by Assam police.
Being in the disputed area between the two states, Assam Police had not even allowed the polling officials from Nagaland to enter the village to set up a polling station in the village.
Eastern Nagaland Public Organisation (ENPO) had written to the Chief Secretary that it would not allow counting of votes throughout the four ENPO districts if the electorate of Ladaigarh polling statiin are not allowed to exercise their franchise.
Meanwhile, consequent upon the complaint of the Nagaland Congress for conduct of re-poll in all the polling stations recording over 90% vote in the April 9 Lok Sabha poll, the Election Commission also announced conduct of re-poll in the polling station recording 90% voter turnout.
CEO Nagaland Sentiyanger Imchen confirmed that the ECI has ordered re-poll in polling station No. 2 (Akhakhu) and polling station No. 25 (Naltoqa I) of Suruhoto Assembly constituency under Zunheboto district .
Voting will be conducted from 7 am to 4 pm on May 10 in the three polling stations, he said.
The Nagaland Congress in its representation to the ECI on April 25 while highlighting that 28 out of the 2058 polling stations in the State had recorded over 95% turnout because of electoral malpractice. It had, therefore, demanded re-poll in these polling stations.
However, the ECI announced the re-poll only in the two polling stations, Congress sources said adding that in Akhakhu polling station out of the 719 electorate 709 cast their vote recording 98.60% turnout while in Naltoqa out of the 1008 voters, 997 had voted recording 98.71%.
Sources said on the polling day, votes were cast against the deleted electorate in the two polling stations because of which re-poll had been announced.