Guwahati: A proxy voting incident was detected at a polling station in Nongthymmai constituency in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya on Monday.
The polling place is at Nongrim Hills’ Mizo Modern High School.
The incident came to light after a voter named Bikram Kumar Rai found that someone else by the same name had voted, the matter was taken up by the election officials who assured action of replacing the poll officials.
The polling station staff in the Nongthymmai seat has been removed as a result of a case of illicit proxy voting being found there.
A complaint was made to the Chief Electoral Officer, FR Kharkongor, and the District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner for the East Khasi Hills, SC Sadhu, hurried to the polling place to confirm the incidence.
After the incident, the East Khasi Hills election officer has mandated an investigation into a case of proxy voting at the Mizo Modern High School polling location.
“We are enquiring into the matter”, Deputy Commissioner SC Sadhu said on Monday.
Rai was permitted to vote in the meanwhile through the “Tender Vote” system, but concerns remain about how a proxy vote is possible in the modern era.
3,419 polling locations in 59 Assembly seats in the state are currently open for voting, which will last until 4 PM.
There are more than 2,160,000 people who can vote.
The number of voting places classified as “vulnerable” has reached 640, while 323 are classified as “critical.” There are now 369 candidates running for office, including 36 women.
Out of Meghalaya’s 60 Assembly districts, 36 are in the Khasi, Jaintia Hills region and 24 are in the Garo Hills region.
It should be noted that voting in the Sohiong Assembly constituency was delayed after HDR Lyngdoh, a former state home minister and candidate for the seat on behalf of the United Democratic Party (UDP), passed away.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) has sent 119 companies to Meghalaya in the aftermath of the election, according to the Election Commission of India.
Voter turnout was registered at 44.73% as of 1 pm in Meghalaya.