Violence-hit Manipur is going to polls on Friday. The state has two Lok Sabha seats — Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur. However, electors of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency will cast their votes on two days. This is due to the "special situation" in the northeastern state that has been torn by ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities for a year.
The usual practice is for voters of one constituency to elect their candidates in a single day. However, due to the special situation owing to the communal clashes and security threats in Manipur, the polling date for the Outer Manipur seat has been split into two according to the assembly segments.
The Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat, currently held by Lorho Pfoze of the NPF, covers 28 assembly constituencies. Voters in 15 assembly constituencies — Wangjing Tentha, Khangabok, Heirok, Kakching, Hiyanglam, Sugnoo, Chandel, Wabgai, Saikul, Kangpokpi, Henglep, Saitu, Saikot, Churachandpur, and Singhat — will cast their ballots for the Lok Sabha polls on April 19. Voters in the rest of the 13 assembly segments — Mao, Jiribam, Phungyar, Tengnoupal, Ukhrul, Chingai, Karong, Tamei, Tamenglong, Tadubi, Nungba, Thanlon, and Tipaimukh — will vote on April 26.
The candidates in the fray for the Lok Sabha election 2024 in Outer Manipur are Kachui Timothy Zimik (NPF), Alfred Arthur Kangam (Congress), S Kho John (Independent), and Alyson Abonmai (Independent). While the BJP has decided not to contest the seat, it will support Kachui Timothy Zimik from the NPF, its NDA partner.
Inner Manipur constituency will go to polls in a single phase on April 19. While there are 1,010,618 voters in outer Manipur, 1,959,429 adults are eligible to cast their votes in Inner Manipur. The Congress has won this seat nine times — the highest.
The Election Commission has also made provisions for the voters displaced by the violence to vote from the relief camps they are currently living in.