Phase-1 Voting: As the voting began in Sikkim and Arunachal, visuals of volunteers at a polling station in Soreng, Sikkim, demonstrated the essence of democracy as they assisted senior citizens, and voters with injuries who came to cast their votes during the first phase of the Lok Sabha Election 2024, and State Assembly Elections on Friday (April 19). Take a look at the visuals here:
As the weather is likely to pose challenges, voting commenced in the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim today. Arunachal is set to elect two Lok Sabha MPs and 50 MLAs, with the BJP already securing 10 constituencies uncontested in the 60-member assembly.
In the Arunachal West Parliamentary seat, contenders include Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju and state Congress president Nabam Tuki. Meanwhile, Arunachal East sees a face-off between sitting MP Tapis Gao and state Congress vice-president Bosiram Siram, among others. Polling arrangements were finalised last night, and the voting began at 7 AM. People can cast their votes till 5 PM.
In Sikkim, Chief Minister and SKM supremo Prem Singh Tamang, along with former CM and SDF chief Prem Kumar Chamling, are among the 146 candidates vying for 32 assembly seats, facing stiff competition in both constituencies.
The SKM leader’s wife, Krishna Kumari, is also in the electorate fray, contesting from the Manchi-Sighithang assembly constituency. Approximately 4.64 lakh eligible voters, comprising a diverse demographic, including senior citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PwD), are exercising their franchise.
With provisions for Assured Minimum Facilities and accessibility-friendly infrastructure at all polling stations, the Election Commission, led by Chief Electoral Officer D Anandan, had assured “inclusivity and efficiency” in the electoral process.