THOUBAL, June 3: Supporters of the BJP candidate of 10-Aihang District Council Constituency and independent candidate of 13-Vomku District Council Constituency took out a mass protest rally today in Chandel district headquarter alleging proxy voting and booth capturing in the June 1 ADC election.
The rally commenced from the Chandel Oil Pump.
Placard holding protestors marched towards the Chandel DC complex and submitted a memorandum to the DC Robert Kshetrimayum Singh.
The chief agents and candidates also interacted with the DC and aired their grievances to which the DC assured to look into the matter and take necessary actions.
Speaking to media persons, independent candidate of 10-Aihang DCC SK Setoi said volunteers of the Congress prohibited him and his election agent from entering the polling station of 10/1 Aihang around 6:30am on the day of the voting.
Soon after the arrival of Assam Rifles personnel in the polling station, we went to the polling station but were again waylaid by the Congress supporters and some unidentified individuals at the village gate and prohibited us from proceeding further, he claimed.
He further claimed that the workers of the Congress candidate were given a free hand at the 10/1 Aihang Polling Station as the concern authority failed to take up any action despite being informed about the incident.
This is unacceptable in a democracy, he added.
Although a written complaint has been submitted to the concern authority, the concern returning officer has failed to take up any action, he claimed.
A worker of BJP Candidate for 13 Vomku DCC Angkhulon Shilshi also told the media persons that some workers of a particular candidate captured the Polling Stations of 13/4 Larong Khullen, 13/7 Phiran Khullen and 13/8 Anal Khullen and their polling agents were not allow to sit inside the polling stations.
He continued on the day of the voting, political agents were reaching to the respective polling stations around 5am, however, workers of another candidate threatened them and prohibited the agents from entering the polling station except for the agents of Naga People`™ Front.
And since the polling agents were not allowed to sit inside the station, they were unable to make any complaint to the polling officers, he said and continued further that however, they went to the district headquarter and lodged a complaint to the election officers but the complaint was not entertained and no action taken up still.
Expressing his doubts about the malpractice, Shilshi also questioned whether the alleged malpractice at the three polling stations were a pre-plan of a particular candidate in collusion with the polling officer and other staff.
In order to verify the malpractices in these polling stations, thump impressions/signatures of the voters in the Register of Voters (Form 17A) column 3 can be also compared, he added.
While appealing to of the concern authorities to look into the issue, Angkhulon Shilshi also warned to taken up an intense form of public agitation if the concern authority delay in tackling the issue.