Bureau Report
Port Blair, Apr 11: Polls to the Lok Sabha in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Parliamentary Constituency were conducted peacefully today but EVM malfunctions slowed down polling in many places, initially. In most of the polling stations polling was conducted in well organized manner however, in some polling stations the voting continued till later evening.
According to the Returning Officer of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Parliamentary Constituency till 6.50 PM total poll percentage was around 66 percent. When last report poured in at 9.10 PM, polling was still on in many places and the rough polling percentage was nearly 70 percent.
Altogether 15 candidates, including one woman and 9 independents, are contesting for the lone Lok Sabha seat from these Islands.
“We were able to conduct mock poll in all polling stations before 7 AM and in all polling station polling began at 7.00 AM,” Mr. Udit Prakash Rai the Returning Officer of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Parliamentary Constituency told Andaman Sheekha today.
Commenting on EVM malfunctioning, he said that from some places there were reports of EVM malfunction but all the EVMs were immediately replaced and the old EVM was preserved, for counting process.
There have been no reports of any major violence in any part of A & N Islands till now.
“There were reports of minor scuffles and incident of Biryani Distribution and ferrying of voters, against which necessary action has been taken as per law,” said Mr. Deepak Yadav, the Superintendent of Police of South Andaman.
This election there has been an increase of 21 Polling Stations, taking the total number Polling Stations to 407 covering the length and breadth of these Islands.
The Southernmost Polling Station in the country is at Shastri Nagar, in the Great Nicobar Island. Polling Stations were set up for tribal as well as other electors at Strait Island for Great Andamanese, Dugong Creek for Onges and Shompen Hut and Lawful Bay for Shompen Tribes.
The lowest number of voter is 9 at polling Station at Pilopatia at Little Nicobar while Govt. Middle School, Brichgunj with 3492 voters was declared as the highest number of electors.
For the first time 11 All Women Polling Stations was set up in all the three Districts. Vidyasagarpalli (Diglipur), Lucknow (Mayabunder) and Parnasala in Rangat were designated as All Women Polling Station in North & Middle Andaman.
Polling Station number 190 (Port Blair), Brindaban-1(Ferrargunj) and Hut Bay-1 at Little Andaman were designated as All Women Polling Stations. Similarly, Perka (Carnicobar), Vikas Nagar, Kamorta,Chota Inak (Nancowry) and Govind Nagar (Campbell Bay) functioned as All Women Polling Station.
For the first time Model Polling Station was created. Altogether, 5 Model Polling Stations were set up in North & Middle Andaman District while 9 in South Andaman and 6 in Nicobar District.
