Manipur polls: 1st phase polling today, 173 aspirants in fray

Our Correspondent
Imphal, Feb. 27 (EMN): Amid the incidents of violence, the stage is all set for the first phase of Assembly elections in BJP-ruled Manipur on Monday for 38 of the 60 Assembly constituencies where the electoral fate of 173 candidates, including 15 women, will be decided.
The polling will take place from 7am to 4pm.

Voters will be required to produce one of the 12 identity documents approved by the Commission, which include EPIC card, Aadhaar Card, MNREGA Job Card, Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office, Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour, Driving License, PAN Card, Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR, Indian Passport, Pension document with photograph, Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies and Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs.

Informing this during a press conference in Imphal on Sunday evening, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manipur Rajesh Agrawal said a total of 6884 polling personnel are being deployed in the first phase polls.

The polling parties for all polling stations have proceeded for their allotted polling stations.

To ensure a Covid safe election, adequate arrangements have been made by sanitising all polling stations, CEO Manipur Agrawal said adding that the voters who are Covid positive or are under quarantine will be allowed to vote at the last hour between 3 to 4 pm.

CEO said a total of 12,09,439 voters including 580607 male, 628657 female and 175 transgender voters will exercise their franchise across 1721 polling stations.

There are a total of 10041 persons with disability (PwD) electors and 251 centenarian voters as well. Out of 13274 postal ballots issued to electors electronically, 559 have been received till date.

Altogether 381 polling stations will be completely manned by all women polling personnel, CEO said. Interestingly,four Assembly Constituencies namely Singjamei, Yaiskul, Wangkhei and Churachandpur will be manned by all women polling teams.

It may be mentioned that one polling station in Saikot constituency in Churachandpur district will be manned completely by PwD polling personnel.

“Adequate Security arrangements have been made with deployment of Central Paramilitary force at all polling stations,” CEO added.

Death toll in Manipur explosion rises to 3

In another incident on Saturday night, three persons were killed and several others injured when a bomb exploded at a house in Gangpimual village in Churachandpur district.

According to reports, the explosion took place accidentally after the locals allegedly picked up an unexploded mortar shell from a place located close to a BSF subsidiary training centre at Gangpimual area, 4km from Churachandpur police station in Churachandpur district around 7.30 pm.

As per initial reports, two identified as Mangminlal(6) of Gangpimual area and Langinsang (22) of Ngathal,Churachandpur died after the explosion on Saturday night. However another injured person identified as Liansuanlal (18) of Zion Veng also succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Imphal on Sunday, sources added.

Both the incidents occurred with less than 48 hours left for polling in five districts.