Arunachal: Nearly 66% turnout in Assembly polls, 42 injured in violence

Itanagar: An estimated 65.79 per cent of 8.92 lakh electors on Friday exercised their franchise in Arunachal Pradesh where polling for 50 Assembly seats was held on Friday, amid reports of sporadic violence and bids to snatch EVMs from a few districts, leaving 42 people injured, an official said.

The voter turnout for the two Lok Sabha seats in the northeastern state was slightly higher at 67.13 per cent.

The difference between turnouts of Lok Sabha and assembly polls exists as BJP candidates in 10 Assembly seats were elected unopposed and thus elections were not held in these segments.

Though the polling ended at 5 pm, long queues of voters were seen at several polling booths at that time and they will be allowed to cast their votes as per the Election Commission (EC) guidelines, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain said.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which were held simultaneously, the state witnessed a record 83.33 per cent voting.

Supporters of two candidates clashed near a polling station in Bameng constituency in East Kameng district, which forced the election authorities to suspend voting, the CEO said.

Some miscreants tried to snatch EVMs in three polling stations in the Nacho constituency in Upper Subansiri and in one in Kurung Kumey district, where polling was also suspended.

“Re-polling in these polling stations is likely to be held,” Sain said.

Altogether, 42 people were injured in poll-related violence, he said, adding that action would be taken against those found to be involved in violence.

The voter turnout was moderate in the morning hours due to inclement weather but it gained momentum

in the second half, the poll official said.