One killed in Manipur poll violence, over 28 percent vote

Imphal, March 5 : One person was killed and another injured on Saturday in violence related to the second phase of the Manipur Assembly election, with over 28 percent of the electorate exercising their franchise in the first four hours. One person died in firing at the 47/49 number polling station in Karong constituency under Senapati district, while the other victim sustained bullet wounds and was flown to Imphal for treatment, police said. Sources said the two persons had reportedly tried to snatch Electronic Voting Machines from a polling station and security personnel on duty in the area resorted to firing, resulting in the death of one of them while the other man was wounded. However, Ngaoni R James, Election agent of BJP candidate, Jonathan Tao said in a letter to the Returning Officer the deceased K Longvaoand the severely injured V. Saope were shot without any warning. He said the security forces will not be allowed to leave the polling station where the incident took place until justice was done. Polling was stopped in the polling station. Meanwhile, election officials said 28.19 percent polling was recorded till 11 AM. Poll activities were disturbed in a polling station at Mao constituency following clashes between supporters of some candidates. Since morning, People started lining up before the polling stations located mostly in the hilly areas and also some of the valleys in an atmosphere of festivity, Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh of the Congress cast his vote at Thoubal constituency, from where he is seeking re-election. Ibobi’s son L Surjakumar, who is in the race from Khangabok constituency, also exercised his democratic right in the morning. Voting started late in some polling stations due to some technical problems. O Ibobi also had to wait for some time before he could vote. The fate of 92 candidates, including two women, would be decided in this phase of the polls being held in six election districts of Senapati, Jiribam, Thoubal, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Chandel. A total of 8,38,730 electors including 4,10,020 males, 4,28,679 females and 31 transgender are eligible to exercise their franchise . Thoubal Assembly constituency is being entirely supervised by women polling officials. About 4988 election officials are on duty at the 1247 polling stations. . The constituencies which have gone to the hustings in this phase had elected 12 Congress MLAs, as also four from Naga People’s Front (NPF), three from BJP, two from National People’s Party (NPP) and one independent in the last elections. This time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting in 22 seats, Indian National Congress (INC) in 18, National People’s Party (NPP) in 11, Janata Dal- ted (JD-U) in 10, Republican Party of India-Athawale (RPI-A) in three, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena in two each. There are also one candidate each from CPI and Rashtriya Janhit Sangharsh Party (RJSP), besides 12 Independent contestants. . Arrangements for webcasting/videography have been made in all polling stations. The movement of EVMs is being tracked with the help of e-Traccar App embedded in the mobile phones of polling personnel and Sector Officers. Meanwhile, as directed by the High Court of Manipur, dates of birth of all young voters in Heirok Assembly Constituency who appear to be in the vicinity of the age of majority, that is 18 years, would be verified by using two documents to verify their identity. In the second phase, besides Ibobi, the fate of former Education Minister and BJP heavyweight Th Radheshyam (Heirok seat) and past state Congress President Gaikhangam (Nungba constituency) will be decided. Repolling is also being held in 12 polling stations, where the vote in the first phase on February 28 was declared void. On February 28, thirty eight constituencies in the 60-member Assembly had gone to the hustings, recording a voter turnout of 88.63 percent. The votes would be counted on March 10. NS SSP

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