Assam: Voting for 22 constituencies in Dima Hasao district for the 13th NC Hills Council election underway

The voting for the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) elections in Assam is underway in Dima Hasao. 

The voting began at 8 PM today.

This significant event will see polling across 28 constituencies within the Dima Hasao district. 

The Assam State Election Commission (ASEC) has prepared for the election by designating 280 polling stations, with 153 marked as 'comparatively safe,' 100 as 'sensitive,' and 27 as 'very sensitive.'

In a departure from recent trends, this election will not utilize electronic voting machines (EVMs). 

Instead, due to the unavailability of a sufficient number of EVMs, ballot boxes and papers will be used. Alok Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner of Assam, has indicated that discussions are ongoing with the Electronic Corporation of India and government PSUs regarding future EVM availability.

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The electorate comprises 141,124 voters, split almost evenly between male and female voters, with an increase of 15.45% since the last council polls in 2019. The counting of votes is scheduled for January 12, 2024, from 8 am until completion, with results declared on the same day.

Candidates had a window for filing nominations on December 21, 2023, with scrutiny of nominations the following day. The deadline for withdrawal of candidature was also on December 22, 2023, after which the list of validly nominated candidates was published. If necessary, repolling is planned for January 10, 2024.

For voter identification, the photo electoral rolls published on November 10, 2023, will be utilized, with the electoral photo identity card serving as the primary document for voter identification. With the announcement of the election date, the Model Code of Conduct came into immediate effect in the NCHAC areas.

This election marks the 13th for the NCHAC in Dima Hasao, an area operating under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. The Congress party has announced its candidate list for the election, aiming to make an impact in the region.

Observers have been appointed to ensure the smooth conduct of the election, including one special and three election observers who will oversee the process and remain stationed at Haflong until the election's conclusion.