Imphal: Tight security arrangements have been put in place for the first of the two-phased Lok Sabha elections in Manipur, which had been rocked by ethnic violence over the last one year, officials said on Thursday.
The Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, which comprises 32 of the 60 assembly segments in the state, and 15 assembly segments of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat will go to polls in the first phase on Friday. Voting will be held in the remaining 13 segments of Outer Manipur in the second phase on April 26.
Voting will commence at 7 am across 2,107 polling stations, of which 645 will be managed by all-woman polling personnel, and is likely to continue till 4 pm.
A total of 15.44 lakh voters, including 8.02 lakh women and 246 persons of the third gender, are eligible to cast their votes in the first phase of elections in the state.
A total of 18,091 people displaced due to ethnic strife in the state can cast their votes at 85 special polling stations.
Manipur has witnessed violent ethnic clashes between hills-based Kukis and valley-based Meiteis that left over 200 dead and thousands homeless since May 3 last year.
A total of six candidates, including state Education Minister Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh of the BJP and Angomcha Bimol Akoijam of the Congress, are contesting the Inner Manipur seat.
Republican Party of India (RPI) has nominated Thounaojam Maheshwar, while there are three other Independent candidates.
Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat has 9.91 lakh voters, while Outer Manipur has 10.22 lakh voters.
In Inner Manipur, the highest concentration of 3.81 lakh voters is in Imphal West, District Election Officer Th Kirankumar said.
Voting will be held in 1,319 polling stations in Inner Manipur, in addition to 29 special polling stations set up for people displaced due to the ethnic strife, he said.
Adequate security arrangements, including the deployment of central armed police forces, have been made for the polling stations that have been identified as vulnerable or critical, he said.
Outer Manipur, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes, will witness a four-cornered contest between Naga People’s Front’s K Timothy Zimik, Congress’ Alfred Kanngam Arthur and Independent candidates Kho John and Alyson Abonmai, with all the candidates being Nagas.
BJP has not fielded any candidate and has declared support for its ally NPF.
A total of 22 special polling stations have been established for internally displaced people in Churachandpur district and 24 in Kangpokpi, officials said.
Campaigning ended at 4 pm on Wednesday for the segments that are going to polls in the first phase. Canvassing has been low-key in the state due to the ethnic strife.
Polling personnel have been sent to their respective polling stations on Thursday.
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