Kohima: Post-poll violence has been reported from Noklak district after supporters of the BJP party demanded a re-poll for 7-Noklak village ‘A’ polling station under 56-Noklak AC alleging that the polling team left the polling station without sealing the EVM and without obtaining the signature of the party’s polling agents before transferring the EVMs.
Situation tensed in Noklak after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced re-poll in four Assembly Constituencies minus 56-Noklak AC.
Local sources told EastMojo that when BJP supporters marched towards the Deputy Commissioner’s complex, security personnel fired shots in which one person was killed on the spot.
The deceased has been identified as 33-year-old L Toyang.
Local sources said that violence erupted after Tuesday midnight and the deceased was shot in the abdomen. Another person was also shot in the head and was rushed for medical attention, as per sources.
Police sources. however, said the person was not shot, contradictory to what the locals claimed.
On the poll day, the BJP had submitted a written complaint to the Returning officer stating that the Polling Officers under Noklak Village-A, Part-7 took the EVM without sealing it and without obtaining signatures from the Polling Agents. In the complaint, the party also mentioned that many voters were denied voting rights despite waiting in queue for the whole day.
Following this complaint, the deputy commissioner of Noklak, Mhathung Tsanglao had written to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Wednesday, citing the complaint made by the BJP.
The DC even alarmed the CEO that the law and order situation is likely to deteriorate and had requested the CEO to address the matter immediately.
After the post-poll violence, the BJP had also written a complaint to the CEO alleging malpractices by the presiding officer of the said polling station for not “allowing genuine voters standing in queue within the specified parameter” and for running away in hurry along with the EVM to Deputy Commissioner’s Office Noklak.
The party accused the presiding officer of performing all formalities at the DC Officer Complex including scaling of EVM and made other necessary entries in the absence of the party’s polling agents.
“The BJP Party Noklak has high inauspiciousness of his malicious and malpractice involvement in tempering the EVM by the polling officer. The party is also surprised to see that the complaint petition filed by the party for re-polling was not taken up to the appropriate authority by the District Election Office Noklak. The complaint duly lodged or handed over to the Returning Officer was on 27th February 2023 at 10PM. However it is surprising to learn that the Deputy Commissioner & District Election Officer has forwarded the letter only on the 28th Feb 2023 10.22 Pm. The lapse of 24 hrs is a pure case of bias and political inclination,” the BJP said.
Listing the chronology, the party said that the “undesirable situation” has resulted in the killing of one person and seriously injuring many party workers by the security personnel.
The party, in its complaint letter, sought re-poll in the said polling station and urged the ECI to declare the February 27 poll as void.
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The party informed that the body of the deceased would remain unburied as a sign of violation of Election Code of Conduct by the Deputy Commissioner & District Election Officer till redressal and exemplary action is taken against the polling booth as null and void.
“The party shall not be held responsible for any further eventualities on the failure of the authorities to address the petition,” it warned.
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