Arunachal elections 2024: State ready for Lok Sabha, Assembly polls with women-centric polling stations

Voting will notably take place in the north-eastern state to elect two Lok Sabha MPs and 50 MLAs. There are 133 candidates in the fray for the assembly constituencies and 14 for Lok Sabha seats.

Arunachal Pradesh is set to vote on Friday for the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, with the Election Commission setting up dedicated women-centric polling stations in various constituencies. Voting will notably take place in the north-eastern state to elect two Lok Sabha MPs and 50 MLAs. There are 133 candidates in the fray for the assembly constituencies and 14 for Lok Sabha seats.

"To ensure the safety of women, women-centric polling stations have been established. We have set up 100-200 pink polling stations, and good arrangements have been made in those polling stations. My message to all women would be that everyone has the right to vote, so women should be able to vote without any influence," Chemy Doker, Presiding Officer of the Shyaro polling station under the Mukto Assembly constituency, said. "There are 77 polling stations in the district, hence 77 teams. One team going to Luguthang has already been dispatched. By evening, all teams will have reached their booths. Polling will commence at 7 am and continue until 5 pm," she added.

Tashi Chhota, another presiding officer of 2/14 Tawang Higher Secondary School, said, "Our polling station is hardly 1km from here, so after we reach, we will inspect all the preparations. Polling will start at 7 am tomorrow. Our team consists of 8 people, including polling staff and security personnel, and we will stay there overnight. We have around 670 voters at our polling station." The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed all-women-led teams comprising the District Collector, Superintendent of Police, and Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), along with all polling parties, including security personnel, in the Lower Dibang Valley district of the state.

Visuals from the Upper Siang Valley district in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday showed security personnel being deployed. Given the mountainous terrain of Arunachal Pradesh, polling teams traverse difficult terrain to reach their respective polling booths. Polling teams could be seen reaching their respective polling booths in the East Kameng district on Thursday. Another depicted polling team was seen navigating the stunning hanging bridge of Lower Heyo.

Arunachal Pradesh has two parliamentary constituencies, Arunachal East and Arunachal West. In 2019, the BJP won both Lok Sabha seats. While in the assembly, the BJP emerged victorious with 41 seats. The JD (U) won seven seats, the NPP won five, and Congress won four seats. The PPA won one seat and independent candidates won two seats. (ANI)

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