Assembly elections: Nagaland records 85.90% voter turnout and Meghalaya 85.27%

The two states witnessed over 85% polling during Assembly elections in 2018

Nagaland and Meghalaya registered 85.90 per cent and 85.27 per cent polling, respectively, on Monday.

Three incidents of violence were reported from Nagaland during the polling.

The poll percentage may go up as information about overall polling was still awaited from many remote polling stations.

Also Read: Voting in Meghalaya, Nagaland peaceful, no demands for re-poll: EC

Shashank Shekhar, the Chief Electoral Officer, Nagaland told reporters at Kohima that polling was mostly peaceful barring three incidents in Wokha and Mokokchung districts. Two security personnel were injured while two civilians received minor injuries in two separate incidents on Monday morning. Police had to open fire in the air in order to control a skirmish outside a polling station under the Bhandari Assembly constituency in the Wokha district.

The single-phase polling was conducted for 59 out of the 60 Assembly seats each in both the hill states. A BJP candidate in Nagaland was earlier elected uncontested while polling in the Sohiong Assembly constituency in Meghalaya was postponed due to the death of the former Home Minister and a candidate of the United Democratic Party, recently.

The turnout in both states was less in the morning despite sunny weather but it gradually picked up. By 1 pm, polling of 44 per cent and 57 per cent were registered in Meghalaya and Nagaland, respectively. The same increased to 73.65 per cent in Nagaland and 63.57 per cent in Meghalaya by 3 pm.

The two states witnessed over 85 per cent polling during Assembly elections in 2018.

Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio, after casting his vote at the Northern Angami II Assembly constituency said that the NDPP-BJP alliance will get a "massive majority" and form their government for the second term in a row. Rio, who served as Nagaland CM four times in a row, has already been named as the CM candidate by the BJP-NDPP alliance. The ruling alliance is better placed this time as the Naga People's Front (NPF) and Congress contested only 22 seats each. BJP and NDPP contested this election in a 20:40 seat-sharing arrangement.

In Meghalaya, the main contest was between the National People's Party (NPP) and Trinamool Congress, which became a strong contender in the state for the first time. BJP and Congress fielded candidates in all 60 seats. The United Democratic Party (UDP) is another important party in the fray. The UDP won six seats in 2018 and played a key role in the formation of the government. CM Conrad Sangma, after casting his vote on Monday, exuded confidence that the NPP would get an absolute majority. The NPP formed the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance in 2018 in which BJP, UDP, HSPDP, and a few others were partners.