The voting for the Assembly elections to Meghalaya and Nagaland began on Monday morning amid tight security measures with men and women in large numbers queuing up in front of polling stations.
The voting for 59 of the 60 Assembly seats in Meghalaya started at 7 a.m. The polling in 3,419 polling stations would continue till 4 p.m. without any break.
Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) F.R. Kharkongor said that a total of 369 candidates, including 36 women, are testing their electoral fortunes in the elections.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, 329 candidates, including 32 women, were in the fray.
The polling would not be held in Sohiong Assembly Constituency in East Khasi Hills district following the death of United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate H. Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh, who died on February 20 due to illness.
Around 21.75 lakh electorates, including 10.92 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in Monday's elections. Votes polled in Meghalaya would be counted on March 2 along with Nagaland and Tripura.
183 candidates in fray in Nagaland
The voting for the Nagaland Assembly elections began on Monday morning amidst heavy security measures, election officials said.
Voters, comprising men, women and first time electorates, in large numbers queued up in front of most polling stations before the voting at 59 of the 60 Assembly seats started at 7 a.m.
The voting in 2,291 polling stations, manned by 11,500 polling staff, would continue till 4 p.m. without any interruption.
Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V. Shashank Shekhar said that around 13.16 lakh voters including 6,55,144 women would decide the electoral fate of 183 candidates including four women nominees in Monday's elections.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, 190 candidates, including five women, had contested the elections. Votes to be polled in Nagaland on Monday would be counted on March 2 along with Meghalaya and Tripura.
(With inputs from IANS)
