A day after Nagaland and Meghalaya held their State Assembly elections, the Election Commission (EC) ordered a re-poll in four of the state's polling booths on Tuesday.
The EC released a statement on Monday after polling closed, stating that voting had taken place peacefully in both states and that none of the 5,710 polling stations had a second round.
On the other hand, on Tuesday, the EC sent a letter to the Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer informing him that the elections for the New Colony PS of Zunheboto (ST), Pangti V PS of Sanis (ST), Jaboka Village PS of Tizit (ST), and Pathso East Wing PS of Thonoknyu (ST) constituencies were null and void.
The Election Commission stated that the decision was made "based on reports submitted by General Observers and after taking into account all material circumstances." According to the EC, the re-poll would take place on March 1 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Chief Election Officer (CEO) was asked to make sure that everyone knew about it. On March 2, votes are expected to be counted.
The Election Commission (EC) letter to the Chief Election Officer (CEO) cited Section 58 of the Representation of the People Act of 1951, which allows for new polls in the event of "destruction of ballot boxes," "mechanical failure" of Electronic Voting Machines, or "any such error or irregularity in the procedure as is likely to vitiate the poll" but does not specify why the decision was made.
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