KHADC & JHADC elections recorded high voters’ turnout

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 27, 2019

SHILLONG: Elections to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), which passed off peacefully on Wednesday have witnessed high turnout of voters in the two regions.

While the JHADC has recorded a voting percentage at 85.60 percent, the turnout of voters in KHADC stood at 76.63 percent till 9 pm. Polling were held from 7am to 4pm.

Of the 9,84,477 voters in the two district councils, the KHADC is having 7,35,143 voters (4.11 lakh females and 3.83 lakh males) while the JHADC is with 2,49,334 (1.28 lakh females and 1.20 lakh males).

According to officials of the District Council Affairs (DCA) department, the figures are being compiled only on the basis of reports received from polling stations that have reported at the time of compilation.

“The figures are not final. Tabulation and compilation of the final datas is still awaited (especially from polling stations in far flung areas) and we expect that the figures is likely to go up,” Commissioner and Secretary in-charge District Council Affairs (DCA) Tining Dkhar told reporters.

It may be mentioned that in the last 2014 elections, the voters’ turnout in the JHADC was recorded at 79 percent and KHADC at 72 percent.

Asked, the DCA senior official admitted that there were few technical glitches when cases of malfunctioning of the voting machines were reported from both Khasi Hills (7 EVMs) and Jaintia Hills (6 EVMs) and said, “These machines were immediately replaced and polling was conducted smoothly.”

From the law and order aspect, Dkhar said that the elections held in the two ADCs were by and large peaceful with no untoward incidents and reports relating to malpractices by political parties or candidates.

“The success of the elections is not only because of the district administration but due to active participation of the public in both the regions. I thanked the voters of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills for exercising their franchise despite inclement weather,” he said.

Meanwhile, the fate of 232 candidates contesting for 58 seats in the two tribal councils will be decided on March 2, when the counting takes place.

The Commissioner and Secretary further informed that the department has also notified the counting centres for March 2. The counting centres for the KHADC will be held mainly in the NSCA stadium while for West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills, counting will be held at the DC’s office, Jowai and Jaintia Eastern College, Khliehriat respectively, he said.