ECI orders re-polling in 8 polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh on April 24

Digital Desk: The Election Commission of India has taken decisive action following reports of violence and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) damage during the simultaneous polling for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh on April 19. In response to these incidents, re-polling has been ordered in eight booths across the state.

Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu confirmed that the Election Commission has declared the polling in these eight booths as void and has scheduled fresh elections for April 24, from 6 am to 2 pm. The affected booths include locations in various constituencies such as Bameng, Nyapin, Rumgong, and Nacho.

The disturbances on the polling day included clashes between supporters of two candidates near a polling station in Bameng constituency and instances of EVM damage in three polling stations across different districts. Despite these challenges, a significant portion of the electorate, approximately 76.44 percent of the 8,92,694 voters, exercised their franchise to elect representatives for 50 out of the 60 assembly seats in the state.

It's noteworthy that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had already secured 10 assembly seats unopposed before the polling. The counting of votes for both the assembly and Lok Sabha elections is scheduled for June 2 and June 4, respectively.

The Election Commission's swift response underscores its commitment to ensuring free and fair elections, safeguarding the democratic process, and upholding the integrity of the electoral system in Arunachal Pradesh.