Ahead of vote on Monday, Meghalaya, Nagaland turn ‘silence zone’

GUWAHATI: The 48-hour sound of silence settled on Meghalaya and Nagaland on Saturday, as canvassing for Monday’s assembly polls ended after an electrifying campaign that found all time hits like Queen’s “We’re the Champions” liven up the political rhetoric in the two music-loving states.
Saturday’s champions were polling personnel travelling across the two hill states, lugging machines and material to set up camp in some of the remotest voting stations. Some were on their way to international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. Some huffing and puffing through 6,000 steep steps. Some took ropeways, dangling over fast and furious rivers, to reach polling stations. Their goal: No voter should be left behind.
In Nagaland, the remotest polling station (No. 7) is in Phomching constituency of Mon district’s Lonwga village, the home of the Konyak Nagas. It’s right on the border, which passes through the village and splits the Angh’s (village chief) house — one partin India, the other in Myanmar Also in Nagaland, polling station No. 30 in Pungro-Kiphire constituency is located in the foothills of Mt Saramati, the last stop of trekkers to the mountain.
Turn to Meghalaya, where poll parties arrived at Nongnam polling station in Mawkyrwat constituency in West Khasi Hills district on Saturday after a hike of four hours. Under Amlarem constituency in Meghalayalies Kamsing polling station, the state’s farthest, which can be reached only by boat. It has just 35 voters.
But the one trek that demanded maximum legwork is to Nongriat polling station in Shella constituency of East Khasi Hills. It is accessible only on foot and through the double-decker living root bridge. One has to climb up and down 6,000 steps to reach the station through the bridge. “Saluting our polling parties in East Khasi Hills using ropeways to transcend hilly terrain to ensure that they are geared up for voters on 27th February,” tweeted Meghalaya chief electoral officer.