The second phase of polls in Manipur recorded 86 percent turnout of voters on Wednesday even as a bomb blast triggered by suspected militants injured at least four people at a market place in Manipur’s capital Imphal town hours after the polls ended.
Manipur’s Chief Electoral Officer Vivek Kumar Dewangan said that the polling remained peaceful and barring a few incidents of stray violence that there is no report of any major untoward incident reported from anywhere in the 22 constituencies that went to polls today.
He said that they have received statistics from 75 percent of the polling stations that revealed 86 percent of polling. “However, the final polling percentage is likely to go up after the reports from the rest of 25 percent polling stations arrive here,” said the CEO.
“Repoll have been ordered in one poling stations under Phungyar constituency after one of the polling official, who was injured during a blast yesterday, breathed his last today,” the CEO said adding that there have been attempts by suspected miscreants to disrupt the polls at Tamenglong and Chandel Assembly segments by damaging Electronic voting Machines. The EVMs were replaced within a short time, he said.
Police said that a blast took place at Thangal Bazar area in Imphal West district around 5.30 pm today injuring four people. “All the injured have been taken to the nearby hospital and their condition are stated to be out of danger,” said the police while adding that investigation is on to ascertain the nature of the blast.
It may be mentioned here that suspected militants had triggered two explosions in the Tangkhul-Naga dominated Ukhrul district bordering Myanmar on Tuesday afternoon injuring two persons including a security personnel and a polling official.
While the first phase of polls were held on March 4 for 38 constituencies, 22 constituencies went to polls today including the high profile constituency of Thoubal where Chief Minister Okram Iboibi Singh is contesting. Manipur’s prominent human rights crusader Irom Sharmila has also filed her nominations from the constituency.
Other high profile constituencies that went to polls today included Khangabok where Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh’s son Okram Surjakumar Singh is contesting and Nungba constituency where Maniopur’s Deputy Chief Minister Gankhangam is seeking a re-election.
A total of 98 candidates including four women, are in the fray in 22 constituencies that went to polls today. A total of 7,77,121 voters including 3,94,646 females were supposed to cast their franchise across 1,151 polling stations.
Election department officials said that a total of 285 companies of Central paramilitary forces have been deployed in the polling stations and 9,338 personnel of State police would be used for security cover.