Preparations in full swing for free, fair polls in Nagaland, says Chief Electoral Officer

Kohima: Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vyasan R said full-scale preparations are being made for free and fair elections and also provide a level playing field to all candidates in the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state.

Voting for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state will be held on April 19.

Three candidates – Congress nominee S Supongmeren Jamir, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) consensus candidate Chumben Murry and Independent Hayithung Tungoe Lotha are in the fray.

"Under the initiative of the Election Commission of India (ECI), all preparations are in full swing for a free and fair election while providing a level playing field to all," Vyasan told PTI in an interview here.

He said that a total of 13,17,536 electorates will be exercising their franchise, including more than 19,000 first-time voters.

Nagaland has more female electors than male. The state has 6,60,807 female voters while the number of male voters is 6,56,729, he said.

The state has 22,140 senior citizens above 85 years of age, 6,688 Persons with Disabilities and 7,847 service voters, the CEO said.

Vyasan said the Election Office has been trying to attract voters to the polling booths by holding various awareness campaigns including football camps, radio jingles and video appeals.

The ECI and CEO's office along with the Office of the Returning Officer are working together for a free and fair election by providing a level playing field for all contesting candidates and the political parties, he said. The state will deploy 170 to 180 polling parties for the 2,342 polling stations. Around 750 polling stations have been categorized as critical, he said.

Of the special arrangement in the process, postal ballots for senior citizens above 85 years of age and PwDs have been provided for them to exercise the franchise sitting in the comfort of their homes.

Asked about the letter submitted by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) to the ECI through his office on April 1 conveying its decision to abstain from the polls, he said there is no further communication.

"There are 738 polling stations in the ENPO area, polling parties will be deputed and polling stations will be set up while it is up to the voters whether to cast their vote or not," he said.

The State Police Nodal Officer for Lok Sabha elections, IGP (Range) Limasunep Jamir told PTI that since the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), security has been beefed up in the state to curb poll-related violence. "So far the electoral process has been normal and we are hopeful that there won't be any escalation in the law-and-order situation and the state will witness peaceful polling," he said.

He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned 48 companies of Central Armed Police Force for the state, which are arriving in batches while the final induction will be completed by Monday.

Jamir said that as of now 588 polling stations have been marked as critical and vulnerable.