Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has demanded a repoll at the 22-Dingsar and 45-Lengi polling stations in Nacho Assembly Constituency under Upper Subansiri district, alleging serious breach of electoral laws during the re-polling that took place on April 24 last.
The APCC which submitted a representation to the state chief electoral officer on Friday said there were blatant violations of the Representation of People Act, 1951, and the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 during the April 24 re-polls.
The Congress alleged that the Upper Subansiri district election officer was openly distributing cash to voters gathered at the polling stations, which is a clear violation of established laws.
The representation further highlighted instances of bias and negligence by the polling officials, leading to the disenfranchisement of a significant number of voters.
According to the APCC approximately 45% of voters standing in queues were reportedly unable to cast their votes due to irregularities in the polling process, including allegations of indirect booth capturing.
“Additionally, the INC polling agent was allegedly denied the opportunity to witness the mock poll at the 45-Lengi Polling Station, and Form 17 was not provided as required by law. The polling agent was also prevented from signing any paper seal, which is a violation of Section 46 of the Representation of People Act, 1951,” APCC general secretary (Admin) Gyamar Tana highlighted in the representation.
In light of these serious allegations, the APCC has called for immediate action against those responsible for the violations and urged the chief electoral officer to ensure the conduct of a fair re-poll at both the polling stations to “uphold the democratic rights of the voters”.
The party has also expressed deep concern over the reported incidents and has called for a thorough investigation to ensure that such violations do not occur in future elections.
Also read: Arunachal: Congress calls for stronger EVM security after poll chaos
