Athokpam Khunou voters threaten to boycott polls
Source: Chronicle News Service

Thoubal, February 15 2022: In protest against the clubbing of Athokpam Khunou of Khangabok assembly constituency in Thoubal district under Khangabok Khunou in the Electoral Roll-2022 by DC/ERO Thoubal, people of Athokpam Khunou stormed DC Thoubal office complex on Tuesday to surrender their voter cards.

Before storming the DC office complex, voters of the locality held a public meet at Athokpam Khunou New Ideal Club complex and staged protest demonstration against naming of Polling No.35/18 Athokpam Khunou as Khangabok Khunou in the Electoral Roll-2022.The voters then decided to boycott second phase of 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly election scheduled on March 5 in respect of the polling station as well as DC Thoubal.

After the meeting, the peeved voters marched towards DC Thoubal office and tried to storm the office.

However, security personnel deployed in the office complex locked the main gate and prevented the enraged voters from entering the complex.

Later, some representatives were allowed to meet SDO Thoubal M Ranjeeta.

The enraged voters then left the area after the SDO assured of rectifying the error at the earliest by releasing a supplementary list after taking approval from the Election Commission of India (ECI) .

During the protest demonstration, voters of the locality shouted slogans and used placards like 'We Boycott 12 General Assembly Election 35/18 Khangabok AC', 'Our Polling Station Name Must be Athokpam Khunou Khangabok', 'Khangabok Khunou is not our real address', 'DC/ERO Thoubal Please do not Manipulate Our Address in the Electoral Roll 2022', 'DC Thoubal Please Don't Invite Violence', 'DC and ERO Thoubal should pay heed to our grievances', etc.

Athokpam Khunou New Ideal Club secretary Oinam Jugeshor, who also took part in the protest told media persons that Athokpam Khunou falls under Khangabok Part-I Gram Panchayat under Khangabok AC and the locality should be 18-Athokpam Khunou in the Electoral Roll.

However, the Electoral Roll-2022 published on January 5, 2022 mentioned the polling station as Khangabok Khunou.

This indeed is disrespect and dishonour of people of the locality by DC/ERO Thoubal and hence 454 voters do not want to take part in 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly election, he said.

According to Oinam Jugeshor, the same mistake occurred in the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly election held in 2017 and local voters protested strongly but decided to take part in the election in 2017 after the then DC assured of rectifying the error before 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly election.

He then said that voters of the locality will boycott the upcoming election if the mistake is not rectified before the upcoming election.

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