- Title: India's election officials climb hills, ford rivers to reach voters
- Date: 18th April 2024
- Summary: SOUTH GARO HILLS, MEGHALAYA, INDIA (APRIL 18, 2024) (ANI - No use India) EXTERIOR OF OFFICE OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONER/DISTRICT ELECTORAL OFFICER VARIOUS OF ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES (EVM) KEPT ON GROUND LOCKED EVM ELECTORAL OFFICERS IN CARS DEPARTING FOR POLLING STATIONS ELECTORAL OFFICERS STANDING VARIOUS OF ELECTORAL OFFICERS UNLOADING LUGGAGE FROM CAR ELECTORAL OFFICERS COLLECTING EVM/ POLICE PERSONNEL STANDING ELECTORAL OFFICERS CARRYING EVM CROSSING WATERBODY ELECTORAL OFFICERS WALKING ELECTORAL OFFICERS CROSSING RIVER CARRYING LUGGAGE ON HEAD OFFICERS CLIMBING UPHILL TO REACH POLLING STATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) DISTRICT ELECTORAL OFFICER, SHIVANSH AWASTHI, SAYING: "Our main challenge is our district has lot of remote areas. So, we have around 108 polling stations for which polling party has been dispatched on P minus two days, i.e. two days before the poll. There are around seven-eight polling stations which are un-motorable. So, at some of the polling stations, the polling party has to walk, in some of the locations they have to go via boat and there is one particular polling station where they have to trek for around nine kilometres." VARIOUS OF LOCALS CROSSING WATERBODY LOCALS WALKING LOCALS CROSSING WATERBODY VILLAGE LOCALITY WOMAN STANDING IN BALCONY (SOUNDBITE) (Garo) LOCAL, BENDINGSON SANGMA, SAYING: "We need a bridge as we have to cross the river on foot. During rainy season, we have to commute in boat. We have only one small boat, that too is in very poor condition. We have to carry everything on our shoulders to cross the river. There was a hanging bridge till 2022 but it got washed away." LOCALS SITTING ON PAVEMENT WOMEN WASHING UTENSILS CHILD LOOKING ON CHILD ALONG WITH WOMAN LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF WOMAN CUTTING JACKFRUIT LOCALS WALKING DOWNHILL/ LOCALS STANDING ON ROOF
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2024 15:17
- Keywords: EVM India areas ballots booth bridge climbing deployment elections electronic government hills locations machine officials personnel polling rivers safe security struggle surveillance voter voting vulnerable
- Location: SOUTH GARO HILLS, MEGHALAYA, INDIA
- City: SOUTH GARO HILLS, MEGHALAYA, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001K654NDB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: India was preparing on Thursday (April 18) for the world's largest general election, as polling officers clambered up hills, traveled deep into areas riven by violent insurgencies and crossed rivers to reach millions of voters across the sprawling nation.
The first vote in the seven-phase election will be cast on Friday, with results set for June 4, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks set to win a historic third term in the face of a straggling opposition challenge.
The Election Commission has to set up more than 1 million polling stations for the nearly two-month duration, with 15 million officials and security personnel fanning out for the task.
Electoral officers were seen crossing rivers and climbing hills for hours on Thursday to reach voters in a remote, hilly village in the eastern state of Meghalaya.
"At some of the polling stations, the polling party has to walk, in some of the locations they have to go via boat and there is one particular polling station where they have to trek for around nine kilometers," said Shivansh Awasthi, District Electoral Officer at Baghmara.
The team crossed Rongdi-Anchenggre river to reach the village of Nengsra, where the residents are still waiting for a bridge with a glimmer of hope.
In Friday's first phase of voting in 21 states and territories, as many as 102 constituencies will exercise the franchise, from a total of 543 in the lower house of parliament. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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