Despite the ongoing blockade of the two National Highways, Manipur on Saturday recorded 84 per cent peaceful polling in the first phase.
Thirty-eight of the total 60 legislative Assembly constituencies in the militancy ravaged State went to polls on Saturday.
Chief Electoral Officer of Manipur Vivek Kumar Dewangan said that 84 per cent polling was recorded till the evening but the percentage was likely to go up.
“So far we have recorded 84 per cent polling. However, the figures are tentative as we are
yet to receive polling figures from 28 per cent of polling stations, which are from no communication areas,” he said while addressing the media on Saturday evening.
He said that the polling remained largely peaceful except one incident where suspected militants attacked one of the party candidates contesting the polls.
“We heard that there is an incident of attack on one of the party candidates, Erendro leichombam. We had urged him to take security but he refused,” said the Chief Electoral Officer.
Suspected militants stopped the vehicle of leichombam and attacked him. leichombam was travelling in his private vehicle along with some of his family members at the time of attack. He is contesting from the Thangmeiband constituency and is the convener of PRJA (Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance), a political party he co-founded with Manipur’s Iron lady Irom Sharmila Chanu and few others.
Polls were held under tight security in the State and according to the statistics of the office of the Chief Electoral Office, over 9,000 security personnel were deployed across the polling stations including State Police and Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF).
Besides the State Police, 250 companies of the CPMF had been deployed in the State to ensure a smooth polling. Around 30 of them were deployed along the National Highway No 53 and National Highway No 2, which remained under an economic blockade called by the United Naga Council (UNC), an apex body of the Nagas living in Manipur.
While there are 168 candidates in the fray for the 38 constituencies that went to polls on Saturday, only seven women candidates are in the fray. The second phase of polling will be held for 22 constituencies on March 8 and the counting of polls will be held on March 11.
While the ruling Congress, which has been in power for last 15 years, is contesting the polls on the issue framework agreement signed by the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre with the NSCN (IM) that will jeopardize the territorial integrity of Manipur, the BJP is contesting the polls on the agenda of development and ‘parivartan’ (change), a mantra that did the wonders for the saffron party in Assam last year.
