Shillong, Oct 29: Bypolls for three Assembly seats-Mawphlang, Mawryngkneng and Rajabala will be held on Saturday from 7 am to 4 pm with Covid protocols.
Due to pre-poll violence in Rajabala, police are keeping extra vigil to ensure a free and fair poll.
Mawryngkneng has 52 normal polling stations and 7 vulnerable ones out of the total 60. In Mawphlang, 40 are normal and 10 are vulnerable out of the total 50 and in Rajabala, out of the total 58 polling stations, 29 are normal and the remaining 29 are vulnerable.
Four companies of CAPF, home guards and state police were deployed as part of security arrangements.
Voters will be provided disposable gloves to press the buttons on EVMs due to Covid protocols and triangle of safety for voters, polling officials and polling process will be ensured.
Women will play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the contesting candidates as they outnumber men as voters in all the three constituencies.
Over 300 senior citizens have opted for voting through 12 D postal ballots in all the three constituencies.
17 auxiliary polling stations in Rajabala and 7 in Mawryngkneng have been created to ensure that voters do not exceed 1000 in view of Covid.
In Mawryngkneng, KHADC chairman and Sohryngkham MDC Pyniaid Sing Syiem (NPP), Highlander Kharmalki (Congress) and Independents Esron Marwein, Arbiangkam Kharsohmat and Norbert Marboh are in fray.
Mawphlang candidates are SK Sunn’s son Eugeneson Lyngdoh (UDP), former MLA Kennedy C Khyriem(Congress) and four-time MDC Lamphrang Blah (NPP)
The contesting candidates in Rajabala are former MLA Dr Azad Zaman’s wife Hashina Yasmin Mondal (Congress), former legislator and sitting MDC of Batabari Ashahel D Shira (UDP), former MLA Abdus Saleh (NPP), Kingston B Marak (BJP) and Carla R Sangma (Independent).
