74% turnout in Arunachal Pradesh repolling

74% voter turnout in repolling across Arunachal Pradesh amid tight security; counting for Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in June.

An estimated 74% voter turnout was recorded in the repolling at eight polling stations across four Assembly constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh conducted on Wednesday amid elaborate security arrangements, an election official said.

The poll percentage, however, is likely to go up as hundreds of voters stood in queues to exercise their franchise even after the scheduled time for voting was over.

The total number of registered voters was 4,469 in the eight polling stations where voting began at 6 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m.

The repolling was necessitated following reports of violence, including damage to electronic voting machines (EVMs), during the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the State on April 19, the official said.

The Election Commission had ordered repolling in Sario under the Bameng Assembly constituency in East Kameng district, Longte Loth in the Nyapin segment in Kurung Kumey, and Bogne and Molom booths under the Rumgong seat in Siang. Dingser, Bogiya Siyum, Jimbari and Lengi under the Nacho constituency in Upper Subansiri were also on the list of booths where repolling was carried out, Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain said.

Elaborate security arrangements were made for the repolling.

“For these eight polling stations, we had extensive deployment of security personnel and we will ensure that this time, if something happens or if anybody tries to snatch or touch the EVMs unlawfully, strict action will be initiated,” he said.