IMPHAL — The Indian National Congress (INC) has secured decisive victories in both the Inner and Outer Manipur parliamentary constituencies in the conflict-ridden state of Manipur.
INC candidate Angomcha Bimol Akoijam won the Inner Manipur seat by a record margin of over 1 lakh votes, breaking previous electoral records. Alfred K Arthur, a former MLA from Ukhrul district, won the Outer Manipur constituency.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) dashboard, Akoijam received a staggering 3,67,504 votes in Inner Manipur, while his closest competitor, BJP candidate Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh, received 260,467.
Maheshwar Thounaojam of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) received 135,640 votes in the same constituency, followed by Rajkumar Somendro Singh (Independent) with 13,050 votes, Moirangthem Totomshana Nongshaba with 4,881 votes, and Haorungbam Sarat Singh with 1,296 votes. As of the filing of this report, NOTA had received 3,797 votes.
Arthur won 380,749 votes, defeating Kachui Timothy Zimik of the Naga People’s Front (NPF), who received 297,631 votes. S Kho John (independent) received 89,677 votes, Alyson Abonmai (independent) 14,864 votes, and NOTA 6,530 votes.
The counting was conducted with three layers of security at 24 counting centres across Manipur’s 11 electoral districts, with 50 counting halls (including five halls reserved exclusively for ballot/service voters).
The Lok Sabha elections in Manipur were held in two phases: the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency on April 19 and the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency on April 26.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Dr. RK Ranjan of the BJP had won the Inner Manipur seat, and Dr. Lorho S Pfoze of the NPF won the Outer Manipur seat.
