Most of the polling personnel for Saturday's Manipur assembly elections have left for their respective polling stations in interior hill districts, election office sources said today.
They will reach polling stations this evening or tomorrow morning in the hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel and Churachandpur, the sources said.
Polling personnel for valley districts of Imphal Wast, Imphal West, Bishnupur and Thoubal will leave for their respective polling stations tomorrow morning.
Altogether 12,967 polling personnel will man 2357 polling stations for the one-day election, sources said adding that central para-military forces will be deployed at the polling stations where polling would begin at 7 am and end at 4 pm on January 28.
Altogether 17,40576 voters including 88,2236 women will exercise their franchise to elect representatives from 60 assembly constituencies enlisting 279 candidates.
Both Congress and Trinamool Congress are fighting the election without any alliance with other parties with 60 and 48 candidates respectively.
Other parties which fielded their candidates are Manipur State Congress Party (31), CPI (24), NCP (22), BJP (19), Manipur People's Party (14) and National People's Party (12) in alliance with other political parties.
Prominent candidates are Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh (Congress - Thoubal), former chief minister and state NCP chief Radhabinod Koijam (Thangmeiband), assembly speaker and Congress nominee, Hemochandra Singh (Shingjamei), former deputy chief minister and Manipur People's Party nominee L Chandramani Singh (Patsoi) and MPP chief and former minister Nimaichand Luwang.
