Skip to content Skip to navigation

Parallel voting and counting at Golaghat

A never seen before incident in the democratic election process occurred at Golaghat during the first phase of Panchayat Poll when the Election Observer started counting the ballots just after two hours since the commencement of polling. This unbelievable happening was occurred at No. 21 Chetia Gaon LP School polling station under Khumati LAC. It all started  when Bubul Dutta, the 2nd Polling Officer, in an act of sheer irresponsibility distributed more than the required ballot papers to the voters and when some of the voters reported the same to the Presiding Officer of the polling station, he stopped the polling instantly. It is to be added that the 2nd Polling Officer was under the influence of alcohol at that time and the police had taken him into custody.

In the meanwhile the Election Observer, Md. Shahnawaj accompanied by Krishna Barua, ADC Law & Order, arrived at the spot and in order to pacify the enraged voters opened the ballot box and instructed the ADC to count the ballots publicly leading to testify that the ballots no longer remain a secret process. According to record 52 voters have exercised their right to franchise but after counting of ballots it was found that the 54 voters has cast their votes. After some times the DC of Golaghat arrived and he ordered the polling to be stopped and a re-polling have been ordered. This public opening of ballot box has led to great controversy and reaction among the people. In another incident, an election candidate had been barred from casting her vote at Murphuloni under Sarupathar LAC. Rupanjali Bheruwa, a ward member candidate from BJP was prevented by the presiding officer from exercising her democratic right as her husband’s name was wrongly printed in the voter list and after some confrontation she was later allowed to vote. While a re-polling has been ordered in No.40 Chongkola ME School polling station as the ballots for Ward Member were not sent. Apart from such a couple of anomalies the overall voting process went off peacefully.

Author info

Ritupallab Saikia's picture

Add new comment

Random Stories

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta will attend Guest of the Month program

21 Jul 2012 - 1:09pm | editor
A daylong media orientation program with an aim for encouraging and developing ethical journalism has been organized on Thursday (July 26, 2012) at Guwahati Press Club. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, an...

Curfew in Malaipathar

29 Apr 2013 - 7:53pm | AT News
Curfew has been imposed in Malaipathar in Goalpara district amid tension after two persons were killed this morning when the police opened fire to control a 3000-strong mob on the rampage.Seven...

Bodoland vasity on throes of crisis

13 Jul 2016 - 3:12pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Bodoland University(BU) authority alleged that the university has been deprived from 12(B) status from University Grants Commission(UGC) due to non-appointment of Professors in the univeristy from...

AASU -NSUI clash : several injured

12 Aug 2008 - 1:19pm | Dibya J Borthakur
Several persons were severely injured when a clash between AASU and NSUI members reached its top position on August 11 at Jaluguti in Morigaon district. According to the information, the local AASU...

Other Contents by Author

The Inter DPS Basketball Tournament Zone 4 Boys (Open) hosted by DPS Numaligarh under the aegis of DPS Society, came to an end October 21. A total of eight teams - DPS Digboi, DPS Dimapur, DPS Nazira, DPS Guwahati, DPS Bokaro, DPS Ruby Park Kolkata and DPS Megacity Kolkata inclusive of the host school - participated in the tournament. The two teams that qualified for the final match were DPS Megacity, Kolkata and the host school DPS Numaligarh. Earlier in the day, DPS Bokaro qualified as the 2nd Runners Up playing against DPS Dimapur. The Special Invitee at the closing ceremony P.K.Barua, General Manager (Commercial), Numaligarh Refinery Limited, wished the finalists and the match began...
The police and jawans of CRPF resort to lathi charged and also used tear gas shells to disperse agitating crowd on Tuesday at Golaghat who were protesting against the financial anomalies of the present management committee of Athkelia Namghor, situated at a distance of about 20 kms from Golaghat town and 300 kms from Guwahati which has always occupied a very important place in the hearts of Assamese religious people.More than 500 people hailing from nearby areas of Athkelia Namghor, supported by the Jorhat and Golaghat district unit of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) staged a sit-in-demonstration in front of the Golaghat Deputy Commissioner’s office on Tuesday. The agitators...
The Golaghat district unit of All Assam Students Union today demanded arrest and suspension of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat Krishna Barua and Bhodo Chutia, the Gaon Bura (Village Head) of Gorbasti village of Merapani for their alleged role in paying a sum of Rs. 4400/- as land revenue to Chairman of Mikirang Village Council of Nagaland.In a press meet held today, Monowar Hussain, central executive committee member of AASU alleged that the last year standoff between the Assam and Nagaland over the 250 Bighas of arable land of Gorbasti area of Merapani had been settled by paying land revenue to Nagaland administration and thereby accepting Nagaland’s dominion over the said plot...
Rangchali, Golaghat-Karbi Anglong Border, 10th July: Suspected poachers shot dead a wild tusker, chopping off its tusk and ears while its trunk was discovered nearby the jumbo’s body which was lying in Rangchali river. The incident occurred at Rangchali river side along the Golaghat-Karbi Anglong inter district border, about 260 KM from Guwahati and it falls under Dolamara Northern Range of Karbi Anglong East Division. The area where the incident took place is known as the elephant corridor as there is frequent movement of elephants from Deopahar forest to Karbi Hills. While talking to Assam Times, Parashar Saikia, Forester of Dolamara Range told that it was a male elephant...
A self styled Sergeant Major of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) was arrested from Borjan Lakhibari area of Golaghat District on the night of 4th July. Acting on a tip off, a team of Police and CRPF led byNumal Mahatto, Additional Superintendent of Police arrested the ULFA cadre. Police said the ULFA cadre has been identified as Arpanjyoti Asom alias Anantajyoti Borah and they also recovered a 9 mm pistol, time device, letter pads of the banned outfit, mobile handset and sim cards of various mobile companies.
Following the lines of Munnabhai’s Gandhigiri Golaghat Traffic Police (GTP) has come up with a unique way to prevent traffic offenders from parking their vehicles, two and four wheelers in no parking and from treading into no-entry zone.   The traffic police approached the offenders with a “Pan Tamool” requesting them to park their vehicles in their assigned places. The offenders were surprised and embarrassed at the same time when the traffic police offered them a “Pan Tamool” in place of slapping a fine. As informed by Sahabuddin Borbhuyan, the In-Charge of GTP, the idea was the brain child of a journalist which was later adopted by the traffic police. Initially this...
The engine alongwith six boggies of the Mariani Intercity Special Passenger Train (UP) got derailed at around 7.30 PM on friday night at Hunatol area in between Sarupatahr and Naojan Railway Station. However no causalities have reported in the incident.
Two suspected Maoists cadre were nabbed by Police at Kachomari Uttar Negheri village under Merapani police station, in Golaghat district on the evening of today. The arrested Maoists were identified as Monjit Bora (24) andSangita Barua (25).  Monjit Bora was absconding since 2012 as a case have been registered against him for providing shelter to Maoist cadres.
Though Assam is the birthplace of Tea in India and about 53% of the country’s total tea is produced by Assam alone but still the Tea Board has not been headquartered in Assam and Govt. of India should take steps to shift the head office of Tea Board from Kolkata to Guwahati to serve the greater interest of people connected with tea cultivation, said Bidyananda Barkakoty, Chairman of North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) while addressing its 16th biennial general meeting today.NETA, a leading tea association in Golaghat, Karbi-Anglong and Jorhat districts and have presence in Nagaon and Dibrugarh districts as wellmade its beginning at Golaghat in the year 1981, now...
The Golaghat unit of Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA) has begun indefinite economic blockade against Nagaland from today onwards at Rangajan area on NH-39. The blockade has been called in protest against the killing of Sanjay Bhumij in indiscriminate firing by Naga miscreants at Naginijan Tea Estate in Marioni along the Assam-Nagaland border. More than hundred Trucks carrying amenities to Nagaland had been stranded at Rangajan. The agitators were demanding a compensation of ten lakh rupees to the family of the deceased, a high level inquiry into the matter and to bring the culprits to book and also to ensure the security of the life and property of the people leaving in the...