Meghalaya assembly polls: BJP candidate AL Hek casts vote, mingles with voters

The BJP candidate from Pynthorumkhrah, AL Hek, cast his vote at a polling station in the East Khasi Hills on Monday.

Flashing his inked finger and posing for the lenses after casting his vote, the BJP candidate also met fellow voters at the polling station.

Polling is being held at 3,419 polling stations across 59 Assembly constituencies in the state. The voting will continue till 4 pm on Monday.

Of the 60 Assembly constituencies in Meghalaya, 36 constituencies fall in Khasi, Jaintia Hills region while 24 are in Garo Hills region.

Significantly, however, polling for the Sohiong Assembly constituency was postponed following the demise of the state's former Home Minister and United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate from the seat HDR Lyngdoh.

There are over 21 lakh electorates (21,75,236) of which 10.99 lakh are women and 10.68 lakh are male voters.

In Meghalaya, the woman voters are in higher numbers than their male counterparts. There are about 81,000 first-time voters in the state.

As many as 369 candidates are in the fray of which 36 are women.

Of the total 3,419 polling stations, 120 are all women-managed polling stations, 60 are model polling stations and another 60 are PWD polling stations.

The Election Commission has deployed 119 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Meghalaya.

Chief Electoral Officer, Meghalaya FR Kharkongor said 640 polling stations have been identified as 'vulnerable', 323 'critical' and 84 as both.

The poll panel on Saturday ordered the sealing of Meghalaya's International border with Bangladesh till March 2.

The counting of votes will be done on March 2.

( With inputs from ANI )

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