76.06 percent logged in second phase LS election
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 26 2024: A total of 76.06 percent voter turnout was recorded in the second phase election in Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency for the 18th Lok Sabha conducted in 13 assembly segments on Friday.

For a total of 4,84,949 eligible adult franchisees the election conducting authorities set up 848 polling stations with the voting process in some marred by vandalising EVMs, capturing of booths and other stray unwanted incidents especially in Ukhrul and Phungyar assembly constituencies.

According to reports received here, the polling proceeded peacefully in all other assembly segments.

People began voting as early as 7 am and continued till 5 pm.

Till the time of filing this report, the voter turnout has been recorded at 76.06 percent.

In Ukhrul, unknown persons abducted worker of the Congress party around 8 am while confrontation broke out between armed individuals and the public when the former attempted to assault a female Congress worker inside a polling station in Ukhrul town.

Additionally, armed individuals also intimidated Congress inner agents at several other polling stations in Ukhrul.

With exception of Ukhrul, election and police officials contended that no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the seven other tribal reserved constituency spread across Kamjong, Tamenglong, Noney, Senapati, Jiribam, Pherzawl, and Tengnoupal districts.

The officials said that despite scorching temperatures, voters, including women and the elderly, queued up at their respective polling stations before the voting started at 7 am.

Friday's polling was held in the remaining 13 Assembly segments under the Outer Manipur parliamentary seat, where voting for the 15 other Assembly segments was held in the first phase on April 19 along with the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat.

The voters, who are sheltered at relief camps due to the nearly yearlong ethnic violence in the state, exercised their franchise at nine special polling stations set up in the relief camps in three districts.

While ruling BJP contested in the Inner Manipur seat, the party extended its support to the Naga People's Front (NPF) nominee Kachui Timothy Zimik, who replaced sitting MP Lorho S Pfoze, in Outer Manipur.

The Congress-led INDIA bloc fielded Alfred Kanngam S Arthur while S Kho John and Alyson Abonmai are in the fray as independents.

UKHRUL: The second phase of polling for the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency concluded on Friday, witnessing a voter turnout of 67.7 per cent in Ukhrul district's two assembly segments and 82 per cent in Kamjong district s lone assembly segment.

In Ukhrul district, the Ukhrul and Chingai assembly segments registered voter turnouts of 68.70 per cent and 66.10 per cent respectively.

Kamjong's Phungyar AC recorded a high turnout of 82 per cent.

Voting commenced on schedule at most polling stations, with only minor delays due to technical issues that were subsequently resolved.

While the polling process remained largely peaceful, incidents of EVM destruction disrupted polling at certain stations in both districts.

In Ukhrul district, EVMs and polling materials were reportedly destroyed at 44/2 Ukhrul (D-l) Greenland Primary School (911 voters), 44/50 Ukhrul F, KK Leishiphanit Junior School (639 voters), and 44/36 Ukhrul, Model High School (811 voters).

There are 145 polling stations in Ukhrul district.

Police reports indicated that around 70-80 unidentified miscreants entered these polling stations forcibly between 3 pm and 4 pm, and caused damage to voting equipment.

Similarly, in Kamjong district, an EVM destruction incident was reported at 43/19 Shingkap polling booth under Phungyar assembly segment, out of a total of 78 stations.

Ukhrul district has 93,869 registered voters, distributed across Ukhrul (46,199 voters) and Chingai (47,670 voters) assembly segments.

Phungyar AC in Kamjong district has 34,907 voters, including 730 first-time voters, 237 persons with disabilities, and 629 individuals aged 80 or above.

At the time of reporting, polling personnel from some nearby assembly segments had already started returning, while personnel from remote areas were expected to arrive the following day.

TENGNOUPAL: A total of 78 polling stations under Tengnoupal AC went to the polls on Friday with no report of untoward incident with initial voting percentage of 85.84 percent recorded.

However, voters of 42/4 having 572 electors complained that unidentified persons cast their votes.

Of the 78 polling stations, four were for internally displaced persons and the rest normal polling stations.

Among the polling stations, two were model polling stations, one for person with special ability, and 15 exclusively for women electors.

Tengnoupal AC has a total of 42,777 voters which include 20,963 male, 21,813 female and one transgender.

Of the total polling stations, 73 were manned by CAPF with the remaining by state forces including IRB and MR.To ensure free and fair voting, Tengnoupal DEO Krishna Kumar initiated installation of CCTV cameras at the polling stations for live coverage.

JIRIBAM: The second phase voting for the 18th Lok Sabha election went off peacefully, in Jiribam district having lone assembly constituency under Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency.

A total of 41 polling stations including one special polling station were set up for the election with voting percentage received till the filing of this report recorded at 62.78 per cent.

40/04 Jiribam higher secondary school polling station recorded lowest percentage of 40 per cent while the highest was logged at 40/34 Borobekra high school polling station at 82.17 per cent.

NONEY: Voting in all the 52 polling stations of Nungba AC in Noney district under Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency went off smoothly on Friday.

Majority of the EVMs and VVPATs have already been submitted to the strong room at mini secretariat, Tamenglong though polling personnel from far flung areas are yet to reach to the reporting point.

The overall poll percentage in the district reached 74 as per initial official report.

Out of 52 polling stations, there were five polling station having over 1,000 voters.

In a significant development, ASHAs and Anganwadi workers helped senior citizens, first time voters and pregnant/lactating women at the polling stations.

CHURACHANDPUR: The second phase polling in Pherzawl district went off peacefully.

Voting at 37 polling stations of Tipaimukh AC and 56 under Thanlon AC began from 7am and ended at 4pm without any report of untoward incident.

55-Tipaimukh AC has a total of 17,794 voters while Thanlon AC has 17,063 voters.

Pending final official report, the poll percentage reached 55.34 per cent in respect of Tipaimukh AC and 52.47 in Thanlon AC as of 3 pm Friday.

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