Manipur recorded by and large peaceful turnout of 76.06 per cent in the second phase of polling for the Outer Manipur seat held on Friday amid reports of voter intimidation and destruction of EVMs at a few polling stations in Ukhrul district.
Five Lok Sabha seats in Assam (70.66 per cent) and one in Tripura (79.55 per cent) also voted on Friday.
While Manipur’s CEO P.K. Jha said he had received a report of only one untoward incident till 7pm, the Opposition projected a contrasting picture.
A leader of the INDIA bloc from Imphal said they have reports of 17 polling stations being affected due to booth capturing, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted a video “from” Ukhrul on X claiming democracy was “under threat” and that “voters were being forced vote only for the NPF, the BJP’s alliance partner, rather than the Congress” with security forces allegedly standing as a mute spectator.
An online news portal based out of Ukhrul — Ukhrul Times — posted a video with the claim that an “alleged NSCN cadres attempt to interfere in polling process at Viewland East Part no. 47 in #Ukhrul thwarted off by local womenfolk present at the polling station.” NPF currently holds the seat but had replaced the incumbent MP with Zimik.
Outer Manipur, one of the two seats in the strife-hit state, is witnessing a direct fight between the NPF’s KT Zimik, a former income tax officer, and Congress’ A.K. Arthur, a former MLA.
All four candidates in the fray are from the Naga community which has remained neutral in the ongoing conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos.
While the first phase of polling for Outer Manipur held on April 19 saw 61.98 per cent polling across 15 constituencies, the second phase saw 76.06 voting till 5 pm in 13 assembly polls having 484949 voters. Outer Manipur has 1038027 voters.
Reports said the turnout was healthy given the overall situation in the state.
Inner Manipur which went to polls on April 19 and had repolling in 11 polling stations due to “mob violence” on April 22 has recorded a 81.6 per cent overall turnout.
Polling for the second phase in Assam held for the Nagaon, Silchar, Diphu, Karimganj and Darrang-Udalguri saw a peaceful turnout.
However, the run-up to the polls was dominated by the derailment of two trains (a goods train and a train engine) in the Dima Hasao district on Thursday, affecting hundreds of commuters, most of them from Barak Valley where the election was held to Silchar and Karimganj seat on Friday.
Both the seats are held by the ruling BJP.
An NF Railway official told The Telegraph that train movement was restored by 12.30pm on Friday and they had provided 24 buses to ferry stranded passengers from Lumding to their home towns in Barak Valley in south Assam but only four buses were used.
The rest took the train that left Lumding at 12.30 pm but the voters among the commuters will miss their vote as it will take over five hours to reach Badarpur, sources said.
