Arunachal Pradesh ready for Lok Sabha, assembly polls amid rain threat
Arunachal Pradesh is all set to vote on Friday to elect two Lok Sabha MPs and 50 MLAs. In the 60-member assembly, the BJP has already won 10 constituencies unopposed.
In the Arunachal West Parliamentary seat, eight candidates are in the fray including Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju and state Congress president Nabam Tuki.
Sitting BJP MP Tapir Gao and state Congress vice-president Bosiram Siram are among six candidates who are contesting from Arunachal East.
All arrangements have been completed to conduct polling which will begin at 7 AM and continue at 5 PM.
The India Meteorological Centre (IMD) has forecast moderate to high rainfall in the northeastern state during the poll day.
«We have arranged temporary shelters with all basic facilities in the polling booths where people can wait if the weather is not conducive,» Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain said.
The Election Commission has also arranged special facilities for the 5,596 voters who are persons with disability (PwD), including transportation to polling booths and installation of ramps, the CEO said.
«Polling officials for remote booths have already reached their destinations,» Sain said.
There are 228 polling stations in the state out of the total 2,226, which could be reached only on foot. As many as 480 polling booths fall under shadow areas, while 588 booths have been identified as critical and 443 as vulnerable.
An estimated 8,92,694 voters including 4,54,256 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise and decide
