NO REPOLL : History in the beckoning for Inner ?
Turn out 70.48 pc
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 22 2009: Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency set a date with history of a sort today with no repoll recommended in any of the 970 polling booths spread across Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur and Thoubal.

Save for some minor arguments over proxy voting, the second phase election in the State passed off peacefully and no repoll has been recommended by any of the polling officials, till the time of filing this report.

Inner Manipur scripts some sort of a history with no repoll even as voters line up to cast their votes and security personnel equipped with arms dispense with their duties keeping a sharp look out

This however does not mean that the day was absolutely free of all untoward incidents.

Allegations have poured in that one voter was man handled by a politician at 5/8 Thongju AC Sharda LP School polling station today at about 3.10 pm.

The voter was assaulted while he was coming out from the polling station after casting his vote.

Held under the shadow of the boycott call given by the JAC formed against the brutal killing of Dr Th Kishan, A Rajen and Y Token by NSCN (IM) cadres, the voting turn out has been pegged at 70.48 percent.

Voter turn out was extremely thin in the morning, aided in no small measure by the drizzle that made walking through the slush in many localities an ordeal.

Leaving nothing to chance, security deployment was tight at all the polling stations with armed personnel as well as unarmed personnel on sharp vigil.

As the day progressed voting picked up but by and large the turn out was not huge and the voter turn has been pegged at 70.48 percent.

Thoubal district led the way in voters turn out with 77.62 pc (Some changes may be effected) followed by Imphal East with 70.59 pc, Bishnupur district with 70 pc and rounded off by Imphal West with 68.7 pc.

The figures mentioned are based on the information given by the RO of the Inner seat.

Significantly Thangmeiband Assembly Constituency, where the late Dr Th Kishan hailed from, recorded a measly 46.74 pc turn out in the backdrop of the poll boycott call given by the JAC.

The total number of voters in the Inner seat is 8,26,539 including 4,34,574 women voters.

Imphal West : With exception to few stray incidents of clashes among the workers of rival political parties, polling in 13 Assembly segments of Imphal West District passed off peacefully.

Though the voters turn out was low in the morning it steadily picked up in the afternoon.

Although the conduct of the polling was by and large peaceful without any obstruction to voters, clashes among the workers/volunteers of Congress and BJP broke out at polling station no.23/08 of Mayang Imphal Thana Awang Leikai under Mayang Imphal Assembly Constituency.

In the clash one Congress worker identified as Chirom Nabachandra (38) s/o Chirom Ibotombi of Mayang Imphal Thana Awang Leikai sustained injuries on his head and he has been hospitalised.

In connection with the incident, police have also reportedly arrested a BJP worker identified as Yumnam Gorojaobi s/o late Yumnam Kanhai of Mayang Imphal Thana Awang Leikai.

In Thangmeiband Assembly Constituency which has a total number of 26,719 voters spread across 33 polling stations, only around 10,000 voters exercised their their franchise rights.

Polling was also peaceful in Patsoi Assembly Constituency which has 32 polling stations.

However, tension ran high at polling station no.19/01 after agents of other political parties raised objection to the attempt of a political worker trying to indulge in proxy voting leading to disruption in the polling for sometime.

Timely action of the security forces managed to bring the situation under control and the polling was resumed peacefully.

Imphal East : Regardless of some minor poll related incidents, the overall polling in Imphal East District which has a total number of 11 Assembly Constituencies was also by and large peaceful.

Even though the voters turn out in all the 319 polling stations of the Assembly Constituencies in the district was low initially, voters started swarming the polling stations just a few hours before the end of polling hour.

Such large turn out just before the end of the polling hour caused some difficulties for the polling officials on duty.

Nonetheless, all the voters who were already inside the complex of the polling stations were allowed to cast their votes peacefully.

Thoubal District: With voters coming out in large number since early morning, over 70 percent polling has been recorded in Thoubal district which has 32 polling stations.

Overall, the polling scenario in the three Assembly Constituencies of the district was peaceful, although there was a minor incident of confrontation among the supporters of two political parties over the alleged removal of an agent at polling station no.31/22-Okram Hanjaba (C) of Thoubal Ningombam.

The situation was however brought under control in no time by the security personnel and polling resumed peacefully.

With exception to polling stations of Nongdakhong (A), (B) and (C) under Thoubal Assembly Constituency, voters turn out in rest of the polling stations of the district was comparative higher since early morning.

Bishnupur district Polling in all the 191 polling stations of Bishnupur district comprising six Assembly Constituencies was also peaceful by and large.

Though there is no report of any major poll related violence, polling in polling station no.24/2 (B)-Nambol was conducted under video clippings and deployment of Micro Observers by the Centre Magistrate following complaint of booth capturing lodged by workers of a political parties against supporter of another political party.

According to sources from the Centre Magistrate, no sign of any booth capturing in the said polling station have been detected.

As in other parts, the voter turn out in Bishnupur district was also low in the morning but steadily picked up as the day progressed registering 60 percent polling by the end of the polling hour.