RANIBARI (WEST GUWAHATI): In the tranquil
village
of Ranibari in the foothills of
Meghalaya
and “part of both Guwahati and Shillong parliamentary constituencies”, residents face a unique predicament every election. With a population of nearly 500 from 96 families, and nearly 230 voters, the village is gearing up to vote for the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat on May 7.
This, after many of them already cast their votes for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat on April 19, in the first phase.
Interestingly, nearly 65 families in the village also hold voting rights in Meghalaya due to their proximity to the border. Living along the disputed Assam-Meghalaya
border
areas, these “
dual voters
” have been exercising their franchise in Assam for decades, even after the creation of Meghalaya in 1972. Despite the Meghalaya poll officials’ stance against double voting, residents with valid identification proof from both states continue to participate in elections in both, a practice that authorities find challenging to prevent.
Unlike the Langpih area along the disputed interstate border, where people conceal their “dual voter identity” due to historical conflicts, the situation in peaceful Ranibari is different, with residents openly exercising their voting rights in both states.
Assam govt provides them electricity and has built the main road, while Meghalaya govt offers job cards under MGNREGA, water supply, and assistance for agriculture, among other benefits. Though not at a loss with support from both states, villagers of Ranibari seek a permanent resolution to their voting dilemma. Rangsha, acting as the spokesperson, expresses the community’s desire for clarity and a solution to the dual voting issue. He questions the expectation to abstain from voting when authorities from both sides encourage participation.
“When booth-level officers from both Assam and Meghalaya approached us, we went ahead and got voter ID cards issued by the respective district election officers. When the election authorities from both sides want us to vote, can we sit idle at home on election day,” Rangsha says. Both NPP and Congress workers were active in the village during the poll campaign for Shillong LS seat, with governing NPP leaving behind posters to mark its presence. Villagers are now preparing to vote at polling stations in Muduki and Bagan villages on May 7.
There are nearly 230 voters in Ranibari. Partha P Rabha, a local youth, echoes the sentiment that possessing voter ID cards from both states implies the right to vote in both.
Efforts to link Aadhaar with voter IDs are under way, which Kamrup district election officials believe will help address the issue of “dual voting”.
