At 85%, Nagaland tops 2018 turnout, Meghalaya's falls

Nagaland bettered its 2018 mark of 83% to record 85% voter turnout while Meghalaya registered 77%, lower than the previous election, as people in the two northeastern states turned up in droves to elect new assemblies in the single-phase polls on Feb. 27. The final count could be higher, offices of chief electoral officers in both states said. The states have 60-member assemblies, but polling was held for 59 seats in both. Voting for Sohiong in Meghalaya was countermanded due to the death of one of the contestants. Polling was not required in Akuluto in Nagaland, as the BJP candidate was declared winner in the absence of any other contestant.