DAPORIJO, Apr 27: Former Minister Tanga Byaling,who is also the Indian National Congress (INC) MLA candidate for the 22-Nacho ST Assembly Constituency, has lodged a formal complaint with the District Electoral Officer of Upper Subansiri, alleging serious misconduct during the polling process at the 22-Dingsar polling station.
Byaling claims that the election proceedings at the said polling station, held on April 24, 2024, were marred by significant irregularities, which he contends violated the fundamental principles of free and fair elections enshrined in the Representation of People's Act, 1951.
According to Byaling, who appointed Mr. Tarak Rai as his polling agent for the 22-Dingsar polling station, several discrepancies unfolded throughout the day. In his complaint he claimed  that, the polling team arrived hours later than the scheduled reporting time of 4:30 AM. Mock polling activities commenced late and concluded by 7:25 AM, further delaying the voting process. Upon inspection around 11:02 AM, it was discovered that the number of votes recorded in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) did not match the entries in the Register of Voters, prompting suspicions of malpractice.
He further added that, efforts to rectify the situation, including calls for a repoll, were allegedly met with resistance and confusion from election officials. Despite assurances from the Returning Officer and the Presiding Officer that a repoll would be conducted, Byaling claims that no formal recommendation for repolling was made upon his arrival in Daporijo.
Byaling emphasizes the significance of the alleged irregularities, asserting that denying repolling in the 22-Dingsar polling station would disenfranchise 134 voters and undermine the principles of democracy.
In light of these concerns, Byaling urgently calls upon the District Electoral Officer to intervene and ensure the prompt conduct of repolling at the 22-Dingsar Polling Station, in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of People's Act, 1951.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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