Elections In Northeast: 1.6 Cr Electors In 14 Seats Cast Votes Amid Boycott Call, AFSPA & Communal Strife

During the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, 1.6 crore electors will exercise their right to franchise for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Northeast.

As the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 kick-off, the northeastern region, parts of which have been facing the heat of communal strife and violence for several months now, has begun casting its votes in Phase 1 today. The polling for 14 Lok Sabha seats started at 7 am on Friday amid tight security in the northeastern states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, where around 1.6 crore electors are eligible to cast their right to franchise.

Polling Underway For Inner Manipur Seat, Part of Outer Manipur

A year after the massive violence outrage in Manipur between the Kuki and Meitei communities, which escalated after May 3, 2023, the ethnic violence-hit state is voting amid beefed up security arrangements.

In the first phase of polling, Manipur will cast ballots for Inner Manipur and parts of Outer Manipur seats. 

A total of around 15.44 lakh voters, including 8,02,577 women and 246 transgender electors in the first phase of elections today.

As per PTI's report, around 18,091 internally displaced people will also be voting across 85 special polling stations.

In view of the Lok Sabha elections, security has been tightened in the ethnic violence-hit northeastern state of Manipur with 8,000 polling personnel being deployed to ensure peace during the voting process.

Polling Begins For 50 Assembly Seats, 2 LS In Arunachal Pradesh

Polling for 50 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh began today amid a massive security blanket due to simmering tensions between India and China. The saffron party has already won 10 constituencies out of the 60 seats in the state.

Voting in the state began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm. 

The Election Commission declared a holiday enabling the people to exercise their adult franchise.

In Arunachal Pradesh around 8,92,694 voters, including 4,54,256 women cast votes, deciding the electoral fate of 133 candidates in the assembly polls and 14 Lok Sabha poll contestants.

Talking about the security arrangements done in view of the election day,state police personnel, state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain said: "Elaborate security arrangements have been made to conduct peaceful polling in the state with deployment of 70 companies of central armed police forces (CAPF), including India Reserve Battalion," PTI reported.

Polling Begins For Lone LS Seat In Nagaland

Polling to decide the fate of the three candidates contesting lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland began at 7 am and will continue till 4 pm. 

In Nagaland, over 13.25 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise across 2,342 polling booths, out of which 588 polling stations have been declared as critical and vulnerable. 

To ensure free and fair polling and maintain peace during the process, 48 companies of CAPF, 50 companies of the state police, Indian Reserve Battalions, Special Task Force and 600 Home Guards personnel and Village guards have been deployed, PTI reported.

 The Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation on Thursday urged people not to cast votes in the polls, pressing for its demands for a separate state. It also imposed an indefined shutdown in Nagaland's eastern part since 6 pm on April 18.

As per the latest notification, the AFSPA has been extended in eight districts and 21 police stations in five other districts of Nagaland for another six months. Previously AFSPA was extended in these areas in September 2023.

The notification was issued under Section 3 of the AFSPA for a period of six months with effect from April 1, “unless withdrawn earlier”.

The constituencies where AFSPA has been extended include Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek and Peren districts and in Khuzama, Kohima North, Kohima South, Zubza and Kezocha police stations in Kohima district;

Mangkolemba, Mokokchung-I, Longtho, Tuli, Longchem and Anaki ‘C’ police stations in Mokokchung district; Yanglok police station in Longleng district;

Bhandari, Champang and Ralan police stations in Wokha district; and Ghatashi, Pughoboto, Satakha, Suruhuto, Zunheboto and Aghunato police stations in Zunheboto district.

Polling Begins For 5 Lok Sabha Seats In Assam

Polling for five Lok Sabha seats in Assam began today amid hightened security arrangements. Voting to decide the fate of 35 candidates in the state began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm. 

The constituencies where the polling has begun include Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga, Sonitpur, and Lakhimpur.

Sixty companies of security forces have been deployed in the five constituencies to ensure free and fair elections in the state.

In Assam, over 86.47 lakh voters, comprising 43.64 lakh women who outnumber 42.82 lakh men and 123 third gender, will be exercising their franchise across 10,001 polling booths, news agency PTI reported.

In the first phase, BJP is contesting in all five seats, the Congress in four, the Aam Aadmi Party in two and the Trinamool Congress, the Assam Jatiya Parishad and CPI in one each.  

Polling Begins For Lone Lok Sabha Seat In Mizoram

Voting to elect the representative for lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram is currently underway.

The polling is taking place amid tighetend security as a part of which at least 6,500 polling personnel, over 3,500 policemen and 12 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed to ensure law and order.  

"All international borders and inter-state borders have been sealed to ensure peaceful elections," PTI reported citing a senior police officer.

In Mizoram, over 8.56 lakh voters, including 4.4 lakh women, will be casting ballots today.   

Polling Underway For Lone Lok Sabha Seat & 32 Assembly Seats In Sikkim

As the first phase of Lok Sabha elections have begun, voting is currenlty underway for 32 assembly seats and lone Lok Sabha seats in Sikkim.

In Sikkim, over 4.64 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise across 573 polling stations.

Sikkim Electoral Officer D Ananan stated that thirteen CAPF companies including five from ITBP and eight from SSB have been deployed in the Himalayan state.

Polling Begins In Tripura For West LS Seat Amid Beefed Up Security

Voting for the West Lok Sabha constituency and the by-election in Ramnagar Assembly constitency have kickstarted in Tripura amid tight security. 

In Tripura, around 14.61 lakh voters - 7.33 lakh men and 7.28 lakh women - are eligible to exercise their franchise. 54,669 voters will likely cast their votes in the by-poll. 

In order to ensure peace while the voting process in underway, Central paramilitary forces have been deployed in all polling booths. Personnel of other forces have also been made available to ensure peaceful voting.

Webcasting is also being carried out at all the booths to ensure that the voting is fone in a free and fair manner, PTI reported.  

The Indo-Bangladesh border has also been sealed to thwart any intrusion bid during the polling process.

Polling Starts In Meghalaya For 2 Lok Sabha Seats

At 7 am today, the northeastern state of Meghalaya began voting for the two Lok Sabha seats under stringent security measures across 3,512 polling stations.

Around 409 polling stations have been categorised as sensitive and 29 others have been declared as vulnerable.

Besides this, a total of 14,048 polling personnel along with 20 companies of CAPFs have been deployed to man the booths, PTI reported citing Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari.

An estimated 22.67 lakh voters are estimated to vote, deciding the fate of the 10 candidates.