It is not militancy that the state election department is worried about instead it is a possible attack by herds of wild and drunk pachyderms on polling day on March 3 that worries Meghalaya officials.Chief Electoral Officer P Naik said the department is worried that moving herds of wild elephants may attack polling stations and school buildings.In fact, there have been instances of wild elephants attacking polling stations in the past. Garo Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts are prone to attacks from wild herd of elephants especially in the remote areas. Naik said the department was taking precautionary measures to deal with the jumbo menace. He informed that forest guards will maintain special vigil during the polls in “elephant infested” areas.Naik said the department had identified 194 polling stations, most of which were in the Garo Hills and in close proximity to the Indo-Bangladesh border as “elephant-sensitive”. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests VK Nautiyal informed that as in every elections, the forest department would also assist the election department to fight off the wild elephants. The forest department also plans to deploy trained elephants, who, along with their trainers or “mahouts”, form mounted patrols to block and chase off any marauding wild tuskers. The local tribesmen are also expected to lend a helping hand by beating drums and cymbals to chase away the elephants.
