Polling teams fan out for 2nd phase LS polls
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 24 2024: Campaigning for the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha election scheduled on April 26 ended at 4pm Wednesday while dispersal of polling personnel for far off polling stations have begun.

A total of 13 assembly segments falling under Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency will go to the polls on April 26.The constituencies are Jiribam, Tengnoupal, Phungyar, Ukhrul, Chingai, Karong, Mao, Tadubi, Tamei, Tamenglong, Nungba, Tipaimukh and Thanlon.

Election in 15 assembly segments falling under the same parliamentary constituency had already been conducted in the first phase on April 19 .

Altogether four candidates namely Alfred K Arthur of INC, Kachui Timothy Zimik of NPF and independent candidates S Kho John and Alyson Abonmai are contesting for the seat.

According to our Ukhrul correspondent, dispersal of polling personnel to their respective places of posting have begun from Wednesday with just one day left for the second phase polling.

The first batch of polling personnel was flagged off by the district election officer/DC Zuringla Kengoo in the presence of Ukhrul ADM Kajaigai Gangmei, ADM (Jessami) P Duna Duo, SDO Dinringam Kamei, SDO/LM & AC to DC A Rohini Kumar, Ukhrul DIO Wungkhan and others from Bakshi ground.

A total of 58 polling teams were despatched on the first day of which 32 were for Chingai AC and the remaining 26 for Ukhrul AC.

Ukhrul AC has set up two all women polling stations along with three special polling stations for the displaced voters, namely, Molen Kamsei, Shongphel and Molnom polling stations.

Dispersal of polling personnel for Tamei and Tamenglong assembly segments have also begun.

Polling personnel for 14 polling stations under Tamei sub-division, 40 polling teams for Tousem sub-division and 12 polling teams for 12 polling station of Tamenglong AC were flagged off from Tamenglong district headquarters on Wednesday.

There are a total of 157 polling station for Tamei and Tamenglong assembly segments and a total of 628 polling personnel are being utilised for the polls.

Despite challenging weather condition, the polling teams set out for their designated polling locations from the Mini-Secretariat, Tamenglong district.

As many as 75,438 voters -36,636 male voters and 38,782 female voters - of the two assembly segments, namely Tamei (ST) and Tamenglong (ST), will vote in the Outer Manipur (ST) parliamentary constituency election.

Tamenglong district has 36 polling stations managed solely by women.

Before the polling teams' departure, the strong room located at the DC Office Complex was opened from 8 am onwards for dispersal of EVMs and VVPATs in the presence of AROs, nodal officers and representatives of various political parties.

Under inclement weather, polling officials and security personnel, including Central Armed Police Forces and state police were dispatched from the Tamenglong Mini-Secretariat to ensure smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha election.

Meanwhile, preparations for the second phase Lok Sabha polls on April 26 in respect of Tengnoupal district having lone assembly constituency (Tengnoupal) have been completed.

The Indo-Myanmar border within the jurisdiction of the district has been sealed for 72 hours, till April 27, to prevent unwanted incident during the polls.

Tengnoupal DEO Krishna Kumar flagged off the first team of polling personnel for 40 polling stations out of 78 from Maha Union Government Higher Secondary School ground, Chandel town.

The remaining polling personnel will be dispersed on Thursday.

The flagging off was attended by Chandel deputy commissioner.

Mayanglambam Rajkumar, SP (Tengnoupal) Rahul Gupta, ADC (Chandel) Md Firoz Khan and officials of Tengnoupal and Chandel districts.

Tengnoupal assembly constituency has 42,777 voters and 78 polling stations, including four for the internally displaced voters.

It has two model polling stations, one for persons with disabilities while 15 polling stations will be manned exclusively by female.

Out of the 42,777 electors, 21,813 are male, 20,963 are female and one transgender.

In another report, DIO Pherzawl informed that general observer appointed by Election Commission of India for Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency namely Ujjwal Kumar accompanied by expenditure observers Bhartendu Kumar Singh and Gaurav K Singh visited Churachandpur to take stock of the poll preparations in Pherzawl and Churachandpur districts.

The observers visited Peace ground at Tuibong to witness second phase dispersal of polling teams for Tipaimukh and Thanlon assembly segments of Pherzawl.

The dispersal of polling personnel for the 78 polling stations in Pherzawl district which began Tuesday was completed by Wednesday afternoon.

The election observers also held a joint meeting with Pherzawl district election officer Asish Das as well as Churachandpur DEO Dharun Kumar wherein the observers were briefed on the measures undertaken in the two districts for free, fair and smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, DEO Pherzawl issued an order prohibiting the sale of liquor as well as other intoxicating substances and also prohibited the use of loudspeakers in the two assembly segments within Pherzawl district from 4pm of April 24 till the completion of polling.

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