Shillong: The first-ever municipal
elections in Meghalaya's Garo Hills was adjourned Friday after
law and order collapsed due to anti-poll protests.
"The law and order situation is not conducive for
elections and so it has been adjourned," Chief Electoral
Officer Prashant Naik said.
Miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at the residence of
East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi last night,
but fortunately it did not explode, police said.
Mob build-up was reported at several places across the
three districts of East, West and South Garo Hills since late
last evening.
Over a dozen polling booths were gheraoed by anti-poll
activists and the polling personnel dragged out and
threatened.
A candidate's vehicle was set on fire by miscreants at
Resubelpara in East Garo Hills, while boulders and felled
tress were stacked up at roads to prevent movement.
Despite heavy deployment of police and paramilitary
forces, arson cases were also reported at some government
offices, besides incidents of stone pelting.
The Joint Action Committee, a conglomerate of several
organisations, had called for a three-day bandh from Wednesday
in the three districts of Garo Hills objecting to the
municipal elections scheduled for October 29.
They claim that it "would be violating the Sixth
Schedule of the Constitution and lead to erosion of powers of
the traditional bodies like the Council of Nokma (Village
Council)".
PTI
First Published: Friday, October 29, 2010, 15:28