April 9 polling: 63 election related incidents reported in Arunachal

Itanagar, Apr 11: Only 63 poll-related incidents were reported during the April 9 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh against 191 registered during 2009, IGP (Law and Order) Satyendra Garg said here today.

"Occurrence of 70 per cent less cases proved that painstaking efforts of security forces for the most peaceful elections in the capital district in recent history of the state were successful," Garg told a press conference. "The people should take a cue from Papurm Pare (Rural), Upper Siang, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley and Anjaw districts for absolutely incident-free polls," he said.

191 cases were registered in 2009 in Arunachal Pradesh

He said that the state witnessed only 25 poll related cases during election day, including 14 related to damage of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and four minor clashes among supporters of candidates. A worker of the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) was attacked by supporters of another candidate on April 9, the polling day, said police.

Also, two cases each of bogus voting, abduction of candidate or their supporters and obstructions or injury to the voters and a case in which an election official at a polling station was accused of malpractice were reported.

He said that cash amounting to Rs 4,40,05,170, including Rs 1.84 crore from the spare tyres of two vehicles belonging to a candidate from Yachuli and Rs 54 lakh of a candidate from rice and potato bags-laden truck at Khonsa were seized while 60,000 litres of liquor worth Rs 2.66 crore besides motorcycles (14), and 98 mobile handsets were also seized.

District-wise incidents on poll day included Upper Subansiri - 7, West Siang, East Kameng and Lower Subansiri 4 each, Capital city - 3 (minor cases), Lohit - 2, Tirap and Kurung Kumey - 1 each. In 2009 assembly elections, West Siang district had recorded 38 cases, Upper Subansiri 23 cases and East Kameng 28 cases while Capital city witnessed violence and booth capturing, he informed.

"Foolproof security arrangement has been made for 18 strong rooms where EVMs were stored, which would continue till completion of counting on May 16 next," he disclosed and added that adequate security forces would be deployed to prevent any post-poll violence.

PTI