Shillong, Feb 19: Chief Secretary DP Wahlang has reviewed the preparation for the conduct of the general elections to the two autonomous district council (ADCs) in the Khasi and Jaintia regions of the state even as he informed that the Assam counterpart has assured full cooperation to ensure there will be no hindrance to movement of polling parties.

Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Wahlang said, “We have had a review meeting yesterday on the conduct of the elections and we have made an assessment for both the regions – Khasi Hills as well as Jaintia Hills and we are satisfied with the arrangements as adequate security have been deployed throughout the two regions.”

He informed that the government is giving extra care for sensitive and super sensitive polling stations and the polling stations located along the border areas with Assam and Bangladesh by ensuring that adequate security is made available.

Election campaigning by different political parties ended today at 4 pm and polling parties have started to leave to the respective polling stations ahead of the polling day on February 21.

“The polling parties are ready to leave and some of them have left today and majority around 80% will be leaving tomorrow,” Wahlang said while adding “So far, there have been no hiccups and everything is going as plan and we are hoping that we are able to conduct the elections peacefully.”

He also appealed to all voters to come out in large numbers on February 21, and vote for the candidates of their choice.

Further, the chief secretary said that he has also communicated to Assam’s chief secretary regarding the ADC elections in the Khasi and Jaintia regions of the state.

“We have given details about the various movements of polling parties and he has assured that there will be no hindrance at all. Some of the polling parties have to move through Assam and full cooperation has been sought from Assam and he has assured that there will not be any problems at all,” he informed.

“What you have mentioned about candidates not being allowed to go and canvas because probably the local administration over there has not been briefed about their movement but the movement of polling parties have already been shared with the Assam’s respective deputy commissioners so we do not anticipate any problem at all,” Wahlang added.

Stating that there has been zero seizures of cash and liquors, the CS said, “We have set up a set up of observers and police nakas but it is a very low-profile election as we do not see much noise as much as during the MP election and as much as the MLA elections. Probably because of the scale of the election we have not been able to seize any cash or alcohol. Till the day before yesterday, you are right we have not made any seizure but keeping the fact that most of the canvassing of the candidates is taking place through common platforms I think the expenditure is much less.”

Asked, Wahlang said that this is not the first time that polls are being conducted during exam time.

“However, there are two things we have done this time. The first is we encourage common platforms so that candidates of different parties don’t have to go again and again to the localities and caused disturbance and second is that we have made it very clear that no noise should be generated after 10 pm and stringent measures have been taken by the respective DCs as far as this is concerned. But for example, the examination of ICSE and CBSE have been fixed a long time back and we have to take cognizance of the fact that the ADCs have to be formed before a certain period of time.”

On the lack of facilities to elderly voters, the CS said, “It is like this the rules of conduct of elections for ADCs is different from the rules of ECI and it is not that we have adopted the rules in toto. In the ECI notification, we have special arrangements for the differently abled voters as well as the aged voters but in the ADCs there are no provisions under the rule and therefore status quo has been maintained.”

Also Read: Adequate security deployed to ensure free and fair council polls in Khasi – Jaintia Hills

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