Polling preparations were on in full swing in Manipur on Thursday, a day before it casts votes in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday. The state has been witnessing a violent ethnic conflict for nearly a year now.
Manipur Chief Electoral Officer Pradeep Jha also informed about the security provisions for tomorrow saying, "We are going to have elections for the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency as well as the 15 Assembly segments of the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency as well. So, put together, between the two Parliamentary constituencies."
"In the first phase, we are going to have elections for 2107 polling stations...Dispersing of polling parties have already begun...Adequate security deployment is already in place...We are also going to do webcast and videography at almost all the polling stations," he added.
Jha also stated that security has been deployed in view of the law and order situation in Manipur amid the ongoing conflict.
"The fringe areas of the valley and hills adequate deployment has been done so that the situation on the day of poll remains safe and secure & every voter feels confident to come out and cast his or her vote," Jha stated.
Lok Sabha elections in Manipur will be held across two phases for its two parliamentary constituencies, Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur.
Inner Manipur and parts of Outer Manipur vote on April 19, with the remaining areas of the latter scheduled to vote on April 26.
The BJP has fielded Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh from Inner Manipur, while the Congress has nominated Angomcha Bimol Akoijam. The seat is currently held by the BJP. The party dropped sitting MP Rjkumar Ranjan Singh from Inner Manipur to field Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh.
The saffron party has not fielded any candidate from the Outer Manipur seat and will instead suport the candidates of its ally Naga People's Front.
In the Outer Manipur constituency, the main competition is between NPF and Congress, which is backed by the Kuki community.
Imphal West election officer Th Kirankumar told news agency ANI that polling and security personnel for the voting stations are setting out for duty a day before election, on Thursday.
"The EVMs have been already opened. So after this, the material and all these machines will be kept in the proper places..." he said.
The district election officer also discussed the security measures in place, saying there would be a "sufficient number of CAPFs" in vulnerable areas, as well as CCTV cameras and videography in all the 538 polling stations.