Manipur polls: 68.5% voter turnout in 3 repolling districts

Our Correspondent

Imphal, March 8 (EMN): All the seven booths in Manipur’s three electoral districts which went to repolling on Tuesday recorded a turnout of 68.5%.

The voter turnout at Yangkhullen (A) polling booth under Tadubi constituency was reportedly very low unlike other polling booths.

It may be mentioned that repolling was conducted at seven booths for five assembly seats in Manipur due to damage of EVMs by miscreants during and after the March 5 poll, on Tuesday.

The booths are Wangjing Hodamba booth in Wangjing Tentha constituency,Ukhrul (E-2) in Ukhrul, Ngamju in Karong, Kalhang and Peh(B) in Chingai and Yangkhullen (A) and Mao Marafil in Tadubi.

Meanwhile, Manipur registered a record voter turnout of 89.24% out of a total of 20.48 lakh registered voters for the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly elections for 60 assembly constituencies, according to official reports. In 2017 assembly elections, the turnout figure was 86%.

As per the reports of the district-wise turn out for the Manipur Legislative Assembly Election 2022 which was made available to media on Tuesday, Chandel recorded the highest turnout of 93.44% while Churachandpur had the lowest turnout of 79.67% among all the 11 electoral districts of the state.

Of the eleven districts where polling was conducted in two phases, Imphal East reported a turnout of 90.55%, Imphal West 92.51 %. Bishnupur recorded 90.80%, Thoubal 90.51.45%, Jiribam 90.26%, Ukhrul 86.56%,Kangpokpi 90.14%,Senapati 91.90% while Tamenglong recorded 86.50%.

A total of 18,27,739 voters out of the state’s 20,48,169 eligible voters including 10,57,336 female and 9,96,627 male cast their votes at 2968 polling booths.

Despite all political parties in the state promising ample measures for empowerment of women, the participation of the women in the state’s electoral politics was considerably low as in the past. As many as 43 assembly constituencies out of the state’s 60 did not have a single woman candidate.

In the 2017 Manipur elections, the Congress had emerged as the single-largest party after winning 28 of 60 seats. But the BJP was able to form a government with National People’s Party, Naga People’s Front and the Lok Janshakti Party.

But this time, BJP leaders are expecting 40 plus seats out of the state’s 60 member assembly to form its own government while Congress leaders are confident of getting an absolute majority.