ITANAGAR, April 22 - The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday ordered re-poll in 18 polling stations spread across Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi districts of Arunachal Pradesh following the complaints of electoral malpractices and technical glitches reported in use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).
The re-polling in those polling booths will be held on April 27 (Saturday) from 6 am to 2 pm, informed Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kanki Darang in a hurriedly convened press conference at Nirvachan Bhavan here this afternoon.
Polling for the 57 out of 60 Assembly constituencies and two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh was held simultaneously on April 11 last.
Of the 18 polling stations (all under Arunachal West Parliamentary Constituency) where re-polling has been ordered, six polling booths each fall under Koloriang and Palin Assembly Constituencies, and three each under Nyapin and Tali Assembly segments. The Addl CEO, however, informed that in Amsukpinja polling station under Palin Assembly seat voting will be held only for Assembly constituency.
The polling booths where fresh polls will be held include Sangram, Joru, Chollo, Restaring and Rakso under Palin Assembly Constituency; Cheki, Pating and Kambang under Nyapin; Gimba, Korehapa and Zara under Tali; and Damin, Taba, Langbang, Nampe, Nikoriang and Pani polling stations under Koloriang A/C.
Asked about the reason behind the re-polling, Darang said that there were diverse reasons for the re-polling in those 18 polling stations. He elaborated that in some of them voting was conducted without using the VVPAT, in some booths EVMs were destroyed and in some machines malfunctioned, and in some booths polling was suspended because of poll-related �disturbances�.
To another query, the Addl CEO informed that adequate security arrangements have been made for free and fair polls on April 27. Five companies of Central armed police forces already deployed there along with the State police will be monitoring the law and order situation. Superintendent of Police of concerned districts will also personally keep monitoring the situation, he added.
Notably, this will be the second time that the poll panel had ordered for fresh poll in Arunachal Pradesh following the April 11 general elections. Earlier, on April 20, re-polling was held in 19 polling booths spread across eight Arunachal districts, including five districts under Arunachal West Parliamentary Constituency and three under Arunachal East Constituency.
