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76 pc voters turnout in Karbi Council polls

By CORRESPONDENT

DIPHU, Jan 4 � Polling for the 11th Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) election concluded peacefully at 3 pm today. No major untoward incident was reported during the polling in the 26 MAC constituencies.

The polling was conducted amid tight security in all the MAC constituencies of the Karbi Anglong autonomous district. Barring a few sporadic incidents of minor skirmish, polling was by and large peaceful, the percentage of voting being over 76.

Braving the intense cold, voters in large numbers turned out in all the polling stations. Repolling has not been ordered in the district.

There were some scuffles between Congress and PAPA workers, torching of polling booths, arson, etc., ahead of polling. However with the deployment of paramilitary forces since the last 36 hours, a peaceful scenario prevailed in the entire district.

Sources said that last night at Mahamaya constituency, a supporter of Lawrence Rongpi, who is contesting as an Independent candidate, was abducted by two armed youths from a booth office.

In another incident, at Borgaon polling centre under Dwar Amla constituency in Hamren subdivision, three people suffered injuries when Congress and PAPA worker clashed with each other this morning.

A similar incident occurred at Beluguri village in Langpher MAC constituency under Bakuliaghat police station this morning, supporters of Congress and PAPA charged at each other.

Two persons were arrested by Dokmoka police for allegedly harassing polling personnel. The incident took place in West Karbi Anglong during the afternoon hours today while polling was on.

Altogether 128 candidates are in fray for the 11th KAAC election. At the time of filing this report, the Karbi Anglong DC informed that Diphu subdivision recorded 76 per cent voting, closely followed by 70 per cent at Bokajan and Hamren subdivisions respectively. However, the percentage of polling may rise.

The Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer, Rakesh Kumar, claimed that polling was peaceful in the entire district. �We have not received any complaint from any candidate so far, therefore the question of repolling does not arise. In Hamren, around 40 per cent polling officials have returned to the centre and by 4 am tomorrow, we are expecting that all polling personnel from every corner of the district will reach their respective centres at Bokajan and Diphu also,� he added.

Significantly, female voters cast votes in large numbers in all the three subdivisions of the district. Youngsters, particularly college students who forced the Assam University, Silchar to roll back its decision of conducting examination on the polling day, were seen in the queues.

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