Manipur records over 80% in 1st phase LS polls; re-poll likely in some polling stations

Our Correspondent Imphal, April 12 (EMN): Manipur recorded more than 80% polling in the first phase polling for outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency on Thursday. Chief Electoral Officer PK Singh of Manipur said that the official figure polling percentage will be release once the remaining polling parties numbering around 20 arrives tomorrow. The sealed EVMs (Electronic Voting Machine) collected from the polling stations across the 28 assembly constituencies under outer Manipur parliamentary have started to arrive for storing under tight security at the district headquarters in Manipur, officials said. When asked about re-poll, he said the scrutiny for the polling stations where re-poll might be held will be done on April 14. After sending reports to the Election Commission of India the date of the re-polling in the state will, be fixed. There are reports of destroying EVMs and VVPATs at two polling station Poi (A) and Poi (B) at Poi, a remote village near Indo-Myanmar boundary under Manipur’s Chingai assembly constituency. Expressing her happiness on safe arrival of all polling/security personnel engaged in election duty in the seven assembly constituencies with EVM machines, Deputy Commissioner Haobam Rosita of Thoubal who is also the district election officer said, all had been put in place to ensure proper security of the EVM machines in the strong room. According to the Election Office, Thoubal, overall poll percentage of the seven assembly constituency is 76.98.  The voter turnout in the Heirok assembly Constituency is 85.43%, Wangjing Tentha is 74.07%, Khangabok 84.21%, Wabagai 79.73%, Kakching 68.16%, Hiyanglam 73.99% and Sugnu 73.27%. Meanwhile, as a part of Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation activity, the District Election Officer, in association with Nehru Yuva Kendra of Bishnupur organized a stand-up comedy show on “Ethical and Informed Voting and Mass Electoral Participation”  on Friday at Thanga Public Ground.