Arunachal: Polling official, Security personnel die during election duty

Itanagar:  Two election personnel engaged in assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Arunachal Pradesh succumbed to cardiac arrests, said a top election official. Additionally, three others were hospitalized following heart attacks.

Changdam Yangchang, a dedicated Polling Officer stationed at Balupothar polling station in Bordumsa, Changlang district, passed away en route to the hospital after suffering a heart attack during the polling process, informed Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Sain during a press briefing in Itanagar.

Similarly, Passang Dondup, a constable serving in the Fourth Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn), breathed his last while on duty at Tamen in Kamle district.

Furthermore, three additional polling personnel encountered cardiac issues and are currently receiving medical attention.

S.K. Paul, a presiding officer stationed in Upper Siang district, experienced a heart attack during polling and was promptly admitted to a hospital in Assam's Dibrugarh district. CEO Sain stated that Paul's condition is stable.

Dinesh Kumar Panda, a central police force personnel from Odisha deployed in Kurung Kumey district, also suffered a heart attack and is undergoing treatment at Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), where he remains under ventilation.

Additionally, Kesang Goiba, a returning officer from Rumgong in Siang district, suffered a heart attack and is currently receiving medical care in East Siang district.

CEO Sain announced that an ex-gratia payment of ?15 lakh will be disbursed to the next of kin of the deceased, with other compensations provided by the Election Commission's regulations.

The polling, which took place for simultaneous elections to two Lok Sabha seats and 50 assembly constituencies in the northeastern state, saw the ruling BJP securing 10 seats uncontested out of the 60-member assembly.

Furthermore, CEO Sain disclosed that the state witnessed a 76.44% voter turnout for the assembly polls, with the Lok Sabha polls recording 76.37% turnout for the East seat and 70.11% for the West seat.

He also mentioned the likelihood of re-polling in five polling stations, including four in Upper Subansiri and one in Kurung Kumey district.