SHILLONG:
Meghalaya’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) FR Kharkongor on Friday said preparations for the upcoming election to elect the new president of the country, fixed on July 18, are on track.
“We are fully geared up along with the office of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to conduct the forthcoming polls and in that connection we already had one round of briefing and training with the Assembly election officials,” Kharkongor told reporters.
He informed that the next round will be hands-on training for the Assembly officials whereby there will be demonstration on how to conduct the elections as this time the elections will be held by way of the ballot box not the EVMs.
He said the manner in which the elector has to vote also is very different in the sense that they will have to display their preferences for the candidate.
“Therefore, official advisory to the electors on various forms and the manner in which the elections are to be held have already been circulated by the Assembly,” the CEO said.
Stating that another round of training will also take place, Kharkongor said the officials from the department and the Assembly will be going to Delhi to collect the ballot box.
Once the ballot box comes, it will be kept securely in a strong room and all protocols and procedures will be followed, he added.
Meanwhile, the CEO also informed that the state’s lone Rajya Sabha MP Dr WR Kharlukhi has expressed intention to vote from Shillong.
“He (Dr Kharlukhi) has already sent his application to the ECI in the prescribed manner and from ECI I am sure they will communicate their necessary approval in that respect,” he said.