Decks cleared for ADC polls, many seats declared hyper sensitive Several polling parties waylaid
Source: The Sangai Express

Lamka, May 31 2015 : Six polling parties under 4-Chongkhozou DCC in Churachandpur district were waylaid around 5 last night reportedly by armed men at Chiangpi village in Henglep sub-division forcing authorities to rescue the polling personnel today.

There are also reports of attempted confinement of ballot boxes at least in two other polling booths under 12-Lanva DCC.

On the other hand polling personnel deputed for duty at Khoirentak Khuman, Kotlen and Torbung under Khousabung DCC were yet to reach their destination till the time of filing this report.

Sources informed The Sangai Express said 6 polling parties under 4-Chingkhozou headed for 4/5 Nungsai, 4/6 Santing, 4/7 Santing Chongchin, 4/9 Lailong (S), and 4/12 Konpi were waylaid by armed men at Chiangpi last night.

The polling personnel were rescued from the site today by a police team headed by an Additional SP after they reportedly spent a night at the jungle.

They arrived here around 4 pm today sans any polling material as people who had waylaid them snatched their seals, ballot papers and boxes.

Poll vehicles of CCpur back at the DEO/DC campus and (R) polling officials at Sadar Hills

Officials said polling at all the six polling stations may be declared 'adjourned' as no polling exercises have been affected as yet.

Meanwhile, three independent candidates from 4-Chongkhozou DCC have today submitted a memorandum to the DEO/DM Churachandpur calling for the disqualification of the BJP candidate on the ground that he was personally involved and supervising the men who waylaid the polling parties.

Though the three had refrained from referring the men as armed, officials who had taken the statement of the polling personnel on their return here hinted at the involvement of armed men.

Incidentally the official said it was not known on whose favour the armed men were acting.

4-Chongkhozou, according to official data, has a total of 5829 voters, of which 2387 are from the six polling stations where the polling may be adjourned.

Had the incident remained unnoticed or unreported, the candidate behind the ploy could have ensured his election hours ahead of the official voting day.

It may be recalled here that three polling parties under 3-Henglep DCC were briefly detained on Saturday.

They were however rescued by security personnel with all the polling materials.

With polling day just a day away, reports and allegations of electoral malpractices flooded the authorities monitoring the ADC poll later today forcing some ROs to resort to a last ditch attempt to save the ballot boxes at least before the voting opens early tomorrow by recollecting the already issued ballot boxes.

It is learnt that the RO concerned has personally recollected ballot boxes meant for Lanva and Haopi DCC tonight as candidates have been levelling charges of attempt to seize ballot boxes against one another.

And the allegations were confirmed in at least two booths by the time of filing this report.

As authorities were flooded with reports of electoral malpractices on poll eve, officials overseeing the polling exercise believed that they may be heading for more cases of booth capturing and other malpractices but only a few have been confirmed till date.

It is also learnt that several companies of the State police commandos have already been stationed in the district for deployment on polling day, if necessary.

In Senapati district, 53 candidates are contesting for 19 ADC seats.

Polling would be held in 146 polling stations.

Meanwhile, reports reaching here said that polling personnel could not Twichin, Samusong, Khongbal Kuki and Urangpat villages, which fall under 21-Chingdai Khullen DCC.

All the polling personnel of these villages returned to Lamlai police station and they are likely to move to their respective polling stations in the early morning tomorrow.