Poll violence and allegations of electronic voting machines being damaged marred the polling process in Manipur, a state that has been embroiled in ethnic violence since May last year.
There have been at least two incidents of gunfire close to polling stations in the Manipur valley. One person, identified as Khoisnam Sayamaima (65), received a bullet injury after an armed person opened fire at a polling station in Khurai in Imphal East, around 2 pm.
Later, the polling station was vandalized and documents set ablaze, officials said.
There was also an incident of gunfire at Thamanpokpi in Bishnupur district in the morning. Both these areas are located in the Inner Manipur constituency, which covers most of the state’s Meitei majority valley, and where there are six candidates in the fray.
Throughout the day, there have been reports of the presence of armed personnel – suspected to be members of radical armed Meitei group Arambai Tenggol – at various polling stations in the valley. Congress candidate Bimol Akoijam also got into an argument with police personnel in a polling station at Kyamgei Heibong Makhong High School in Imphal East, where he alleged that Congress polling agents were being threatened.
Manipur chief electoral officer (CEO) Pradeep Kumar Jha confirmed that an EVM was damaged in Thongju in Imphal East. There has also been vandalism in at least one more polling station, in Uripok in Imphal West.
The CEO also stated that they have received complaints from some polling stations in Imphal West of people intimidating voters and agents, and attempting to capture booths.
In the meantime, in the wake of a call to “abstain from voting” by various Kuki-Zomi organizations in Kangpokpi district, which comes under the Outer Manipur constituency, there has been a low voter turnout there.
While the voter turnout in Manipur as of 11 am was 27.64%, in Kangpokpi, it stood at around 12%, an election official said, adding that the voting had been recorded largely in areas where other communities such as Nagas and Nepalis reside.
