Fresh polling underway in 11 polling stations in Manipur amid heavy security

Imphal, April 22 (IANS) Fresh polling in 11 polling stations in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency is underway amid tight security on Monday, officials said.

They said that the balloting is going on very peacefully and around 38 per cent of voters have cast their ballots till 11 a.m.

Election officials said that around 8,500 voters are eligible to cast their votes in the fresh polling which was ordered by the Election Commission in view of incidents of firing, intimidation, destruction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and allegations of booth capturing in these polling stations during the first phase of polling on April 19.

The fresh polling in the 11 polling stations started at 7 a.m. and it would continue till 5 p.m. without any interruptions.

The poll panel on Saturday declared the Lok Sabha elections held at 11 polling stations as void and announced to hold fresh polling in these stations -- seven in Imphal East district and four in Imphal West district.

The officials said that a huge contingent of additional security forces including Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed at these polling stations for smooth, free, and fair voting.

The opposition Congress had demanded repolling in 47 polling stations claiming that a huge number of polling booths were captured and elections were rigged.

Manipur Congress President K Meghachandra Singh said the party has lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer demanding repoll in 36 polling stations in the Inner Manipur constituency and 11 in the Outer Manipur constituency.

Amid sporadic incidents of violence, 72.17 per cent of the 15.44 lakh voters exercised their franchise in Manipur’s two Lok Sabha seats (one partially) on Friday.

Polling was held in the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat and 15 of the 28 Assembly segments of the Outer Manipur (ST) parliamentary constituency on Friday.

Voting will be held in the remaining 13 Assembly segments under the Outer Manipur seat in the second phase on April 26.

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