DIMAPUR, May 8 � The Election Commission of India has ordered conduct of the adjourned poll in Ladaigarh polling station under 49-Tamlu Assembly constituency in Longleng district of Nagaland while declaring as void the scheduled poll on April 9 in the said polling station. The adjourned poll will be held from 7 am to 4 pm on May 10.
The ECI order said the polls be held in an �alternative place� in the nearby location that is �not in dispute�.
The order also stated that the conduct of the polls is an �ad-hoc arrangement� without prejudice to the respective claims of the two State Governments, in regard to the disputed border areas, which is presently �sub-judice.�
Mention may be made here that 302 voters of Ladaigarh polling station No. 1 were denied of their right to exercise the franchise due to the occupation of the designated polling station (GPS Ladaigarh) by Assam police.
Being in the disputed area between the two States, Assam police had not allowed the polling officials from Nagaland to enter the village to set up a polling station in the village.
Eastern Nagaland Public Organisation (ENPO) had written to the Nagaland Chief Secretary saying that it would not allow counting of votes throughout the four ENPO districts if the electorate of Ladaigarh polling station are not allowed to exercise their franchise.
In another order, consequent upon the complaint of the Nagaland Congress for conduct of re-poll in all the polling stations recording over 90 per cent voter turnout in the April 9 Lok Sabha poll, the Election Commission today announced conduct of re-poll in the polling stations recording 90 per cent turnout.
Nagaland CEO Sentiyanger Imchen confirmed that the ECI has ordered re-poll in polling station No. 2 (Akhakhu) and polling station No. 25 (Naltoqa I) of Suruhoto Assembly constituency under Zunheboto district.
The re-poll will be conducted from 7 am to 4 pm on May 10 in the three polling stations, he said.
Mention may be made here that Nagaland Congress in its representation to the ECI on April 25 while highlighting that 28 out of the 2058 polling stations in the State had recorded over 95 per cent voter turnout because of electoral malpractices, demanded re-poll in these polling stations.
However, the ECI announced the re-poll only in the two polling stations, Congress sources said adding that out of the 719 electorate 709 cast their vote in Akhakhu polling station recording 98.60 per cent turnout while in Naltoqa polling station out of the 1008 voters, 997 had voted recording 98.71 per cent turnout.
Sources said on the polling day, votes were cast against the deleted electorate in the two polling stations because of which re-poll had been announced.
