Polling passes off peacefully in Manipur

SOBHAPATI SAMOM
IMPHAL, April 22 – Barring reports of rigging in few booths, the second phase of Lok Sabha polling in the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency passed off peacefully across the four Valley districts on Wednesday.

The polling percentage was 65 per cent. Today’s polling was held amid tight security in the 970 polling booths spread across 32 Assembly constituencies under four Valley districts of Imphal West, East, Thoubal and Bishnupur.

The Election office recorded polling of only about 36 per cent of 8.25 lakh voters by noon. “The turnout was much higher in the last Lok Sabha polls”, L Amutombi, 33, a resident of Khumbong village said.

The polling was very low due to a sudden downpour in the morning. However, the turnout of electorate mostly women in their colourful attires was slowly on the rise in the afternoon. Among the districts – Bishnupur and Thoubal, from where Chief Minister O Ibobi hails, witnessed the highest turnout in the day’s polling. The overall polling percentage later reached 65 at the end.

“Today is one of my happiest day as I had the privilege to vote this time”, Th Jenny,19 of Utlou Awang Leikai in Bishnupur district, a Matric student who voted for the first time said,” she told The Assam Tribune.

Rigging and unwanted incidents were reported from Uyumpok booth under Khudrakpam AC, Patsoi in Patsoi AC and Utlou B under Nambol AC and few other booths in Andro and Konthoujam ACs. Meanwhile, an election agent of CPI candidate L Sotinkumar lodged a complaint seeking re-polling in 10 booths – 7 in Andro AC in Imphal East district, one each in Nambol, Khundrakpam and Patsoi ACs in Imphal East district.

In view of the poll boycott by Thangmeiband United Club and Thangmeiband Meira Paibee Apunba in protest against the government’s inaction in the killing of three State officials including SDO Dr Kishan, Mandal Token and Driver Rajen by NSCN-IM men, voting in Thangmeiband AC, home constituency of former Chief Minister RB Koijam was poor.

Today’s voting will decide the fate of sitting MP Dr Meinya of Congress, former Union Sports Minister Th Chaoba Singh of Manipur People’s Party, CPI’s Dr M Nara, BJP’s W Nipamacha and others. In 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Dr Meinya defeated his nearest rival Dr M Nara of CPI by a margin of 49,333 votes.

On April 16 last, the first phase of election in Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency was held. ASSAM TRIBUNE