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Imphal, Nov. 7 (IANS): Over 40% of the electorate cast their votes in the first five hours of voting during the bye-elections to four Assembly seats in Manipur on Saturday amid elaborate security and strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol, election officials said.
State election officials said that 1,33,136 voters, including 67,802 women, are eligible to vote at 203 polling stations in the bypolls to Lilong and Wangjing--Tentha seats in Thoubal district, Saitu in Kangpokpi, and Wangoi in Imphal West district.
Balloting commenced at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm. The voters will decide the fate of 11 candidates in fray for the four seats.
The bypolls were necessitated after sitting Congress legislators, elected in the 2017 elections, resigned from the Assembly and the party to join the ruling BJP.
BJP candidate Ginsuanhau was elected unopposed from Singhat seat in Churachandpur district on October 22 after Independent nominee Chinlunthang withdrew his candidature.
The BJP has put up candidates in three of the four seats and is supporting an Independent candidate in Lilong seat, while the opposition Congress is in the fray in all four constituencies.
The Wangoi seat will witness a triangular contest between the National People's Party (NPP), BJP, and the Congress. The NPP is an ally of the BJP-led government in Manipur.
An Election Department official said: "Social distance among the electorate and officials, wearing of face masks and hand gloves, thermal screening, sanitisation of electronic voting machines have been ensured at each polling stations."
For voters above the age of 80, Covid-19 patients and quarantined voters can exercise their franchise through postal ballots.
The counting of votes will be held on November 10.