In response to incidents of violence during the Lok Sabha elections in Manipur, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered repolling at 11 polling stations within the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency. This decision follows disruptions that marred the initial voting process that took place last Friday.
The 11 affected polling stations that are located in Imphal East and Imphal West districts experienced mob violence and disruptions which resulted in the destruction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Following these unfortunate events, the Manipur Chief Electoral Officer recommended declaring the previous polling void under Sections 58(2) and 58 (A) 2 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This made ECI take charge and their subsequent decision to conduct a repolling was in response to these disturbs, including mob violence, riots, and booth capturing. It is worth noting that, unidentified individuals forcefully cast votes at one polling station which led to significant unrest in the area.
The Inner Manipur constituency has six candidates contesting for the seat, with the main competition seen between Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from the Indian National Congress (Congress) and Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh of the BJP, based on earlier trends and predictions. In the wake of these events, political voices, particularly those of the Congress alleged electoral malpractices and were seen seeking repolling at multiple places, echoing concerns raised by other parties and stakeholders. With the attention now hyper-focused on Manipur as it navigates these electoral challenges, the new date for repolling has been scheduled for Monday.
In addition to the electoral situation, it’s important to note that Manipur has been dealing with internet shutdowns amid ethnic tensions between the Meitei majority living in the valley and the Kuki-Zomi-Mizo-Chin tribal communities living in the hills since May 2023, providing a broader context to the ongoing situation.
- Original news article from JURIST – News.