Election for the 60-member Assembly in Manipur concluded on Saturday amid reports of violence.
Fate of 279 candidates were sealed in ballot boxes in the polls, which begun at 7 am in the morning and ended at 4 pm in the evening.
According to preliminary reports, the state recorded close to 80 per cent polling across 2,357 polling booths.
Although tight security arrangements were in place to ensure free and fair polls, five persons were killed, including a CRPF jawan, when militants attacked a remote polling booth in Chandel district, bordering Myanmar, police sources said. At least 875 polling booths were categorised as hyper-sensitive by the Election Commission in on Saturday’s election and 350 companies of security personnel were deployed.
The incumbent Congress party, under the leadership of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, is eyeing a hat-trick this time. The ruling party of Nagaland, the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF), had fielded its candidates in 12 Naga-dominated constituencies in four hill districts of Manipur, thus making the sailing tough for Congress in these constituencies.
The Congress party and CPI, which are coalition partners in the outgoing government, chose to try their lucks in the elections separately. Besides, five parties —Manipur Peoples Party, Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), CPI-M and Janata Dal (U) — contested the elections under the banner of Peoples Democratic Front. The BJP too fielded candidates in 19 constituencies and Manipur State Congress Party contested in 34 seats.
Chief Electoral Officer P C Lawmkunga said according to preliminary reports, 82 per cent of the 17.50 lakh electorate cast their votes even as details from the state’s nine districts were awaited.
Deputy Election Commissioner Alok Shukla said in New Delhi that a person, posing as a voter, entered a polling station in an interior area in Sugnu Assembly constituency in Chandel district at around 12:30 and started firing indiscriminately, killing a CRPF man, three polling persons and a voter on the spot.
An injured voter, who was taken to Imphal in a helicopter, succumbed to bullet injuries. The shooter, who is yet to be identified, was also gunned down by CRPF personnel posted at the polling booth. Bombs suspected to have been planted by militants were seized and defused before the start of polling in Khurai Chingangbam area, Sawombung High School, Khomidok in Imphal East district and Naoremthong High School area in Imphal West district, officials said.
There were also reports from six other places in the state where mobs damaged electronic voting machines and in another incident miscreants snatched an EVM, said Shukla.
A total of 12,967 polling personnel were deployed for the elections at 2,357 polling stations. Around 350 companies of security personnel, including 270 central paramilitary force personnel, were deployed besides the state armed police. A helicopter was also kept on standby for emergencies.
The run-up to the election witnessed several militant attacks. A coordination committee of seven major militant groups had called for a ban on all election meetings and campaigning by Congress candidates.
Congress and its partner CPI, which comprise the ruling Secular Progressive Front, fought separately. While Congress contested all the 60 seats, CPI did in 24. Trinamool Congress, which has one legislator and is an ally of Congress in West Bengal, contested in 47 seats on its own. People’s Democratic Front — an opposition five-party alliance comprising Manipur Peoples Party, NCP, CPI-M, Janata Dal (U) and RJD — contested 43 seats. The BJP fielded candidates in 19 seats and Manipur State Congress Party in 34. Manipur unit of Nagaland-based party, Naga Peoples Front, contested in 12 constituencies in the hills.
