Meghalaya Election 2023: Final Voter Turnout Recorded At 85.25%

The CEO’s office on Monday said that over 75 per cent polling was recorded till 5 pm though voting continued for several more hours after it was supposed to conclude at 4 pm.

Voters wait in queues to cast their votes at a polling booth during the Meghalaya Assembly elections, in Ri Bhoi district, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

Source : PTI

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor on Tuesday said that 85.25 per cent of the state’s 21.6 lakh voters exercised their franchise during the assembly election held on the previous day.

The CEO’s office on Monday said that over 75 per cent polling was recorded till 5 pm though voting continued for several more hours after it was supposed to conclude at 4 pm.

“The turnout was 85.25 per cent. Polling was held in a free and fair manner and no untoward incident has been reported,” Kharkongor told PTI.

Mowkaiaw constituency in West Jaintia Hills district border Assam's West Karbi Anglong registered the highest voter turnout of 92.73 per cent, he said.

Altogether 12 constituencies recorded over 90 per cent voting.

Counting will be held on March 2 at 13 centres across the state.

Though Meghalaya has a 60-member assembly, polling in the Sohiong constituency was adjourned following the death of one of the candidates.

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) is vying to retain power in the northeastern state, while the BJP, Trinamool Congress and other regional parties are hoping to bring about a change in the government.

The Congress and the BJP contested in 59 seats, while the NPP had put up nominees in 56 constituencies, the TMC in 57 and the UDP in 46. 

The BJP and NPP ran the government in Meghalaya for the last five years as a part of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) but the two parties fought the elections on their own.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma met Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati ahead of the counting of votes for the assembly elections, sources said on Wednesday.

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)