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Amid difficult mountain terrain and dense forests of Arunachal Pradesh’s Vijaynagar, where even mobile signals dare not venture, a unique electoral odyssey is unfolding. In this remote corner near the international border with Myanmar, where challenges loom as large as the towering peaks, polling personnel armed with solar lamps, VSATs, excavators and four-wheel drives, among other things, are gearing up to ensure a smooth electoral process.
Lok Sabha elections will be held in the state in a single phase on April 19, coinciding with assembly polls.
Vijaynagar in Changlang district — located at an altitude of 4,070ft — is home to the Yobin tribe and ex-servicemen of Assam Rifles, primarily from the Gorkha community. It falls in the Miao assembly segment of Arunachal East Lok Sabha constituency and has nine polling stations with a total of 3,859 voters. Only two of the nine stations have an electricity connection.
In the past, polling teams had to be airlifted by IAF choppers but this time, they will be travelling on a motorable road that was carved two years ago. However, only a four-wheel-drive vehicle can ply on this 150-km Miao-Vijaynagar road, which cuts across mountains and forests.
Also, this road provides access to only six polling stations, while the remaining three — Sidikuh, Two-Hut and Majgaon — still lack complete surface connectivity.
“The remaining three stations can be reached partly by four-wheel-drives but rest needs to be trekked. The teams have to cross forests and Noa-Dihing river. But if it’s raining, they may have to trek for about 40 minutes and then cross the river through a hanging bridge,” said Miao assembly constituency returning officer RD Thungon.
The nine polling teams — equipped with VSATs to keep the communication flowing uninterrupted — are expected to depart from Miao early on April 19, and travel in a convoy to Vijaynagar. They are expected to return by 9pm and then travel an additional three hours to the strong room in Changlang.
“We have categorised the polling stations into three types—normal, pink (managed by women), and hard. All nine polling stations in Vijaynagar fall under the hard category, requiring experi enced and motivated polling personnel to navigate the challenging conditions,” said Vishal Sah, Changlang district deputy commissioner and district election officer.
Excavators have been stationed at potential landslide points, and extra drivers have been put on standby to prevent delays due to driver fatigue.
In Arunachal Pradesh, where the population density is among the lowest in the country, the Election Commission faces a diverse set of challenges when it comes to conducting polls — from polling stations with just one voter to those located at altitudes exceeding 13,000ft. EC has been utilising various modes of transportation—including human runners, porters, and IAF choppers, to ensure inclusivity and accessibility.
While teams of election officials are making their way to voters in Vijaynagar, residents of Hai-Machi in Kra Daadi district will have to trek across mountains for 40 to 50 km to reach their polling station.
In the village that falls under Tali assembly seat in Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency, voters will have to navigate jungles, and maybe even fight wild animals, including bears. Carrying elderly voters to polling booths involves more challenges as it takes at least five hours to reach.
Noting the villagers’ arduous journey to the polling station, Kra Daadi district election officer Sunny Kumar Singh said that plans were being devised to set up resting camps along the trekking routes with drinking water provisions and a temporary camp at Pip Sorang headquarters to stay the night before.
Lok Sabha elections will be held in the state in a single phase on April 19, coinciding with assembly polls.
Vijaynagar in Changlang district — located at an altitude of 4,070ft — is home to the Yobin tribe and ex-servicemen of Assam Rifles, primarily from the Gorkha community. It falls in the Miao assembly segment of Arunachal East Lok Sabha constituency and has nine polling stations with a total of 3,859 voters. Only two of the nine stations have an electricity connection.
In the past, polling teams had to be airlifted by IAF choppers but this time, they will be travelling on a motorable road that was carved two years ago. However, only a four-wheel-drive vehicle can ply on this 150-km Miao-Vijaynagar road, which cuts across mountains and forests.
Also, this road provides access to only six polling stations, while the remaining three — Sidikuh, Two-Hut and Majgaon — still lack complete surface connectivity.
“The remaining three stations can be reached partly by four-wheel-drives but rest needs to be trekked. The teams have to cross forests and Noa-Dihing river. But if it’s raining, they may have to trek for about 40 minutes and then cross the river through a hanging bridge,” said Miao assembly constituency returning officer RD Thungon.
The nine polling teams — equipped with VSATs to keep the communication flowing uninterrupted — are expected to depart from Miao early on April 19, and travel in a convoy to Vijaynagar. They are expected to return by 9pm and then travel an additional three hours to the strong room in Changlang.
“We have categorised the polling stations into three types—normal, pink (managed by women), and hard. All nine polling stations in Vijaynagar fall under the hard category, requiring experi enced and motivated polling personnel to navigate the challenging conditions,” said Vishal Sah, Changlang district deputy commissioner and district election officer.
Excavators have been stationed at potential landslide points, and extra drivers have been put on standby to prevent delays due to driver fatigue.
In Arunachal Pradesh, where the population density is among the lowest in the country, the Election Commission faces a diverse set of challenges when it comes to conducting polls — from polling stations with just one voter to those located at altitudes exceeding 13,000ft. EC has been utilising various modes of transportation—including human runners, porters, and IAF choppers, to ensure inclusivity and accessibility.
While teams of election officials are making their way to voters in Vijaynagar, residents of Hai-Machi in Kra Daadi district will have to trek across mountains for 40 to 50 km to reach their polling station.
In the village that falls under Tali assembly seat in Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency, voters will have to navigate jungles, and maybe even fight wild animals, including bears. Carrying elderly voters to polling booths involves more challenges as it takes at least five hours to reach.
Noting the villagers’ arduous journey to the polling station, Kra Daadi district election officer Sunny Kumar Singh said that plans were being devised to set up resting camps along the trekking routes with drinking water provisions and a temporary camp at Pip Sorang headquarters to stay the night before.
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