DC office, DMCTE to be counting centres for Imphal West: DEO
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 02 2022: The district administration of Imphal West is reported to have completed preparations for the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly election to be held on February 27 and counting of votes for assembly constituencies of the district will be conducted at DC complex, Lamphelpat and DMCTE, DMU campus.

To prevent violence before and after the elections, the district magistrate has so far recovered 2880 licensed arms, DC cum district election officer (DEO) Imphal West Th Kirankumar told media persons on Wednesday.

The two-phase Assembly election is being scheduled on February 27 and March 3 but all the constituencies of Imphal West district will go to the polls on February 27 and filing of nominations have started from February 1 and it will continue till February 8 .

Scrutiny will be done on February 9 followed by issuance of symbol the next day on February 19 and withdrawal of candidature till February 11.After different arrangements including printing of postal ballots, voting will begin from 7am of February 27 and it will continue till 4pm the same day while counting of votes will begin from March 10, he added.

According to Kirankumar, there are 13 assembly constituencies in Imphal West district including SC reserved seat Sekmai and the district recorded poll percentage of around 90 in the 2017 assembly election.

The district will have seven Returning Officers for the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly election and one RO will handle two each assembly constituencies but Uripok AC will have only one RO, he said, adding that EVMs have been distributed to respective ACs and information in this regard could be accessed through website of the district.

Imphal West district has a total of 3,77,290 eligible voters while number of transgender voters increased to 72 from 20 in 2017.Number of PwD voters too has been increased to 3304 and gender ratio is 1099 female to 1000 male voters, Kirankumar said, adding that enrolment of fresh voters in the district is high.

The DEO further informed that there will be 530 polling stations.

While informing that place of duty for polling personnel will be intimated three days in advance, he also announced that polling personnel for Thang-meiband, Sagolband, Uripok, Naoriya Pakhanglakpa and Langthabal ACs will return to DM College of Teachers Education (DMCTE) after end of polling, where EVMs will be sealed in five strong room's.Counting of votes for these constituencies will also be done at DMCTE.

Polling personnel for the remaining eight assembly constituencies of the district will report to DC complex at Lamphelpat and counting too will be held at the same complex.

Kirankumar further said that there are numerous complaints about violation of model code of conduct (MCC) and grievances and one teacher has been suspended for violation of MCC.

He also said there has been no approval for conduct of public meeting regarding election till February 11.According to Kirankumar, ECI will send nine observers for Imphal West district which include four general observers, four expenditure observers and one police observer.

Regarding security arrangement, Imphal West SP Ksh Shivkanta told media persons that the district police has taken up necessary security measures to make the upcoming election free and fair and five companies of CAPF have already arrived in the state and started performing duty while another 50 companies will arrive before the election.

District magistrate issued a total of 4053 arms licence and 2880 licensed arms have been recovered so far for ensuring free and fair election but 245 licensed arms have been given exemption.

He also said that the district police continue to conduct drive against liquor/illicit drugs in the connection with the upcoming election since April 1, 2021 and recovered 19,113 litres of DIC liquor, 1156 bottles of IMFL, 828 beer cans, 122.59 kg of opium, 767 gm of brown sugar, 37.37 gm of heroin, 53,784 WY tablets, 9.189kg of Ganja and 99 Codin bottles.

According to Shivkanta, altogether 1520 individuals who are suspected to incite violence in the election have been 'bound over' and 'bound down' under different sections of CrPC 1520 to ensure peaceful polls while 48 police check points have been activated.

He also said that altogether 39 SST, three each in every constituency, have been activated since Tuesday.

Since the enforcement of MCC, 39 flying squad teams too have been activated and 16 critical, 259 vulnerable, 259 normal polling stations have been identified! He then appealed to people of the district to make the upcoming election a peaceful one and helpthe district police.

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