CEC assures free, fair elections in 3 north-eastern states

Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat today said elections in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya will be free and fair as adequate measures have been taken to meet the challenges in the three north-eastern states.

The conduct of election officials will also be under watch of the poll panel, he told reporters here after a top-level review of the poll-preparedness in Meghalaya.

The CEC said all sensitive polling stations would have fixed CCTV cameras and webcast facility for the poll observers.

Live web casting will be done in 193 polling stations while videography will be carried out at 552 polling stations, he said, noting that micro observers will be deployed in 312 out of the 3083 polling stations in the state. While Tripura goes to polls on February 18, voting in Meghalaya and Nagaland will be held February 27. Counting of votes in all the three states is scheduled on March 3.

In the run up to the polls in Meghalaya, Rs 17.25 lakh and nearly 21,000 litres of liquor have been seized, Rawat said.

Two weapons and six kg of explosives have also been seized while 6,391 guns have been deposited with the district authorities, he said.

The chief election commissioner said that 18.42 lakh people were eligible to vote in Meghalaya and over 9,400 new voters were added between January 10 and February 7.

With regard to the complaint made by the BJP that the director general of police and his men campaigned for the Meghalaya chief minister, the CEC said, "So far, we have not been able to lay our hands on any evidence but the process is on and the commission will take a call on whatever emerges."

On reports of hate speeches, Rawat said, "Instructions have been given to ensure that these things are nipped in the bud."

He said any such report should be effectively dealt with to prevent the poll process from being vitiated.