Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 23 2009:
The timely intervention of Thongju MLA Bijoy Koijam has thwarted an aggressive attempt to capture a polling booth in Imphal East by BJP workers yesterday.
The incident happened at polling station number 5/8, Sharda LP School under Thongju Assembly Constituency when a BJP worker identified as Nongmeikappam Gyaneshore son of N Mohan of Koirou forcibly tried to capture the booth, according to District President, DCC, Imphal East, K Jagat, who come out with a press statement today.
Jagat said that N Gyaneshore and some BJP workers have forced voters to cast their votes in favour of the BJP candidate and they perturbed voters who tried to cast their votes in other candidates' favour which compelled some electorates to return home without exercising their franchise.
Circle MLA Bijoy Koijam, who came there to exercise his franchise, was apprised of the matter after the process was stuck for a long time then.
Acting swiftly, Bijoy advised the BJP workers not to resort to such kind of practice, K
Jagat said.
Gyaneshore then retorted indecorously and even told the MLA that was not his business while also asking him to leave, Jagat narrated.
Peeved at the discourteous conduct of Gyaneshore, Bijoy exorcised him from the place and subsequently letting then the voters to cast their vote to candidates of their like peacefully, Jagat stated.
Contending that Gyaneshore has been on the job in every election, Jagat also recalled an incident when Gyaneshore run away with the ballot box of the same polling station in 2004 Parliamentary election.
Jagat is also apprehensive that Gyaneshore might have forcibly cast all the votes had not the MLA appeared on the scene in time.