RO exhorts transgender voters to exercise their rights
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR
Imphal, February 19 2022:
Lamsang assembly constituency has 12 transgender electors which is the highest marked in electoral list in Imphal West district, said returning officer Salam Padmapati, and urged them not to shy away from exercising their democratic right.
The RO said adult franchise is the sole right of an elector and no one can take away that right.
The constituency's fate will be decided by the people and so does their representative, she said adding that people cannot afford to just watch the progress of other constituencies and wait for their turn.
She said: "We are all responsible citizens of the state with clear understanding of democratic form of government and what we want for our future generation.
We should leave no room for violence," she said appealing to all citizens of the constituency to come forward as a matured and civilized society and ensure smooth, free and fair conduct of election.
Lamsang AC, which has a total of 33,437 electors, has 430 electors who are above the age of 80 years and two others above the age of 100 years.
There are 16,224 male and 17,201 female electors and 225 PwDs in the constituency, she said adding that 181 postal ballot have been prepared for 12D for Absentee Voters in the constituency.
17/26-Awang Khunou has the highest number of electors with 1151 electors, and 17/47-Leitong with just 237 electors has the lowest number of electors in the constituency.
Two polling stations -17/39 St EdmundSchool (Northern Wing) and 17/40-St (Southern Wing) have been identified as Model cum Women Polling Stations under Lamsang constituency, Padmabati added.
The constituency has five candidates in fray for the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly Elections, 2022.They are Education minister and BJP candidate Sorokhaibam Rajen Singh, NPP candidate Pukhrambam Sumati Devi, Independent candidate Arambam Karamjit Singh, JD(U) candidate Dr Khundrakpam Kanba Meitei and INC candidate Likmabam Manib-abu Singh.
Manipur People's Party's Laishram Samungouba Singh was the first MLA to represent Lamsang AC in the Assembly.
He defeated Khundongbam Jugeshwar of the CPI in the 1972 General Elections.
Jugeshwar defeated Shamungouba in the 1974 election before being defeated by Independent candidate Phuritsabam Sagor Singh in the 1980 election.
Sagor fought the 1984 election as an Independent candidate again but lost to another Independent candidate Mutum Deven.
Deven, who was MPP candidate in the 1990 election, defeated Sagor of the Janata Dal for the second time to represent the constituency in the Assembly.
Starting from the 1995 election till the 2017 election, only two candidates have shared the Lamsang seat between them.
Sorokhaibam Rajen won the Lamsang seat in 1995 and 2000 Assembly Elections as INC and MSCP candidates respectively defeating W Brajabidhu in both elections.
However, Indian National Congress candidate Wangkheimayum Brajabidhu Singh represented the constituency for three consecutive terms, winning the 2002,2007 and 2012 elections defeating his arch rival Sorokhaibam Rajen in all three elections.
Rajen contested the 2002 election as Federal Party of Manipur candidate, 2007 elections as Manipur People's Party candidate and 2012 elections as the Nationalists Congress Party candidate.
In the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly Elections, Rajen came back with a BJP ticket to regain the seat defeating INC's Brajabidhu.
Rajen was later inducted as a minister in the present State cabinet under chief minister N Biren Singh.
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