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Nagaland submits report to EC on excess voting

By Correspondent

DIMAPUR, April 30 � Acting on the complaints lodged by the Congress in Nagaland that proxy voting marred the April 9 Lok Sabha elections in Nagaland, the Returning Officer has sent the re-verified report of the polling stations in the State to the Election Commission.

Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha election in the State KV Pusa on April 25 had submitted a representation to the Election Commission alleging mass proxy voting and rigging in over 1,000 polling stations, wherein about 46 had recorded over 100 per cent voting while another 984 had over 90 per cent voting.

The Congress had been demanding that the EC either declare the elections as null and void or hold fresh polls in the polling stations.

Sources said taking serious cognisance of the complaint, the EC had sought a report from the State Returning Officer. Subsequently, the RO had directed the District Returning Officers to properly verify the votes polled in the polling stations.

The DROs have already submitted the report and it has been forwarded to the Election Commission, official sources confirmed here today. However, the final decision of the EC is awaited.

Meanwhile, fresh polling is likely to be held for Ladaigarh Polling Station No 1 under Tamlu Assembly constituency in Longleng district.

Voting on April 9 could not be held in the polling station as Assam Police did not allow entry of polling officials from Nagaland to the village because of the border dispute between the two States, which led to denial of voting right to 302 voters of the village.

However, the General Observer for the area deputed by EC failed to recommend re-poll while the following day even the Scrutiny Committee including the State Returning Officer and two General Observers of the EC did not recommend re-poll for Ladaigarh PS as well.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples� Organisation (ENPO), after a series of meetings, have communicated to the State Government that unless fresh poll is held for Ladaigarh PS, it will not allow counting of votes in any of the polling stations of the four districts on May 16.

ENPO districts have a total 616 polling stations in 20 Assembly segments with over 3.6 lakh electorate.

Highly placed sources also revealed that the ENPO leaders also called on State Chief Secretary in Kohima today and submitted relevant documents to take up with the EC with regard to the Ladaigarh PS.

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