EC orders repoll in six booths of Outer Manipur; voting on April 30

The Election Commission has ordered repolling in six booths of the Outer Manipur constituency that had voted in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election on Friday.

The Chief Electoral Of€ce of Manipur said on Saturday that repolling will be held on April 30 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Disturbance was reported in these polling stations spread across Ukhrul, Chingai, and Kharong Assembly segments. EVMs had been damaged to the point that results were not retrievable.

Videos circulating on social media showed instances of alleged voter intimidation at some polling stations of Ukhrul while others showed polling stations being vandalised with VVPAT slips strewn on the ˆoor.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had alleged that the voters were being intimidated to vote for the Naga People’s Front, the BJP’s ally in Manipur.

The Lok Sabha election is being conducted in Manipur in the shadow of the ethnic conˆict that has seared the State since May 3 last year between the valley-based Meitei people and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo.

More than 220 people have been killed since the conˆict broke out, thousands have been injured and tens of thousands have been internally displaced.

In the €rst phase of voting in Manipur too, instances of booth capturing, voter intimidation and €ring were reported as a result of which repolling was ordered in 11 booths of Inner Manipur constituency.

The Outer Manipur Constituency saw a voter turnout of around 76% after both phases (before repoll).

The turnout was around 80% in the Inner Manipur constituency.

GETTY IMAGES In line again: Voters at a polling station during the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Friday.