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50% vote in Meghalaya as balloting ends, people still queued up (Third Lead)

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Shillong, Feb 27 (IANS) Over 50 per cent of the 18.9 lakh voters on Tuesday exercised their franchise in the elections to 60-member Meghalaya Assembly at the end of voting hours, even as hundreds were still lined up to cast ballots, officials said.

“Over 50 per cent electorate had cast their votes till 4 p.m., with a large number of voters still in queues at various polling stations across the state,” Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor told IANS.

A total of 18,09,818 electorates, including 9,13,702 women and 89,405 first-time voters, were to decide the fate of 361 candidates, including 31 women and many independents. Counting of votes will take place on March 3.

A total of 31.40 per cent of the voters had cast votes till 1 p.m.

Polling in one seat — Williamnagar — was countermanded following the killing of Nationalist Congress Party candidate Jonathone Sangma in an IED blast in Sawilgre area of East Garo Hills district on February 18.

He said technical glitches in 31 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and 41 VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails) were reported from around 180 polling stations.

In the 2013 polls, Meghalaya recorded 87.97 per cent balloting.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma voiced confidence that the Congress will retain power, crossing the magic figure of 31 MLAs.

“I have full faith in the people. I believe they have full confidence in the Congress. We will cross the magic number,” Sangma told journalists after voting at Chengkompara polling station in Ampati segment.

Sangma, the chief architect of the Congress win on 29 seats in the 2013 elections, is contesting from Ampati and Songsak.

Asked whether the Congress had decided on potential partners in case it fell short of a majority in the new house, he quipped: “We do have lots of good friends.”

In the 2013 assembly elections, the Congress won 29 seats and later increased the tally to 30 by winning in Chokpot bypoll in 2015.

The Congress — ruling the state for a decade — has fielded candidates in all 60 seats, of which 59 saw polling on Tuesday.

However, seven of its legislators have since quit and jumped on to the bandwagon of the alliance formed by the BJP, National People’s Party (NPP) and newly floated People’s Democratic Front (PDF).

The combined regional alliance comprising United Democratic Party, HSPDP and Garo National Council, also was gung-ho about electoral victory.

“From reports that I have received so far, we are confident to unseat the Congress from power and form a pro-people and corruption-free government,” UDP chief Donkupar Roy told IANS.

The NPP, which won two seats in the 2013 assembly poll and is fighting the elections alone, is hopeful of increasing the numbers as five former Congress legislators are contesting on NPP symbol this time.

“We are hopeful of emerging as the single largest party in the Assembly and form the government,” NPP President Conrad K. Sangma said.

Governor Ganga Prasad voted at the Oakland polling station in North Shillong constituency.

Former Union Minister and NPP candidate Agatha K. Sangma, Home Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh of the Congress, Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy of the UDP and HSPDP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit also voted.

As many as 340 polling stations have been categorised as “critical” and 580 as “vulnerable”.

Balloting in 183 polling stations is being webcast, to be made available at the offices of Chief Electoral Officer or District Electoral Officer and the Election Commission, state Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor said.

As many as 66 all-women polling stations and 61 model polling stations have been set up.

Mawlai constituency in East Khasi Hills district has the highest voters at 42,670, and Dalu in West Garo Hills the lowest 18,640 voters.

In all, 106 companies of central armed police forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful polls, he said.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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