Lok Sabha Elections: Fresh polls at 11 polling stations in the I-Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency are to be held on Monday (April 22). This comes a day after phase 1 of polling in the Lok Sabha elections. Manipur's Chief Election Officer issued a notice saying that the voting that took place on Friday at 11 polling stations is void.
In Inner Manipur, polling took place on 32 assembly segments. According to the notice, repolling is set to take place on five assembly segments, including Khurai, Kshetrigao, Thongju, and Uripok Konthoujam.
The polling in Manipur was marred by violence. Incidents of firing, intimidation, destruction of EVMs at some polling booths and allegations of booth capturing were reported from the northeastern state that recorded a turnout of over 68 per cent in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on Friday.
The incidents of EVMs being destroyed were reported from at least four polling booths by unidentified miscreants in Imphal East and Imphal West, PTI reported, citing sources. "An EVM machine was set ablaze at Moirangkampu Sajeb in Khurai constituency in Imphal East district and a 65-year-old man was also shot at by some unidentified gunmen. There has also been vandalism in at least one more polling station, in Uripok in Imphal West," PTI quoted an official source as saying.
Voting took place in two constituencies--Inner Manipur (32 assembly segments) and Outer Manipur (15 assembly segments)- on Friday while polling in the remaining 13 assembly segments in the Outer Manipur constituency will take place on April 26 in the second phase.
The state which has been reeling under the conflict of ethnic violence since May last year has traditionally seen a very high voter turnout. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the state recorded a turnout of 82 per cent. "A voter turnout of 68.82 per cent has been recorded. While the Inner Manipur constituency has recorded 72.3 per cent turnout, the poll percentage in Outer Manipur stood at 61.98 per cent," said Pradeep Kumar Jha, Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur, as quoted by PTI.
The highest turnout was recorded in Keirao constituency in Imphal East district among all the 32 constituencies of Inner Manipur with 83.81 per cent. For Outer, Chandel which has both Naga and Kuki voters recorded the highest turnout with 85.54 per cent turnout. Kuki-dominated Henglep in the Churachandpur district recorded an 80.70 per cent voter turnout while Saikul recorded the lowest with just 19.46 per cent.
3 Involved In Shooting Near Polling Station In Manipur Held
Manipur Police arrested three persons who were involved in a firing incident near a polling station in Imphal East district, PTI reported, citing an officer. The three arrested persons were involved in the firing incident at Moirangkampu Sajeb in Imphal East district in which a man was injured on Friday, the officer said.
The three had fled from the spot in a four wheeler after the firing incident and were arrested on Friday evening less than 5 km away from the incident site. One .32 pistol with ammunition and Rs 1 5 lakh in cash were seized from their possession. A case has been filed and investigation is on, the officer further stated.