EC announces fresh polls in 11 polling stations in Manipur on Monday

Imphal, April 20 (IANS) The Election Commission on Saturday declared the Lok Sabha elections held at 11 polling stations in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency as void and announced to hold repolling in these stations on Monday.

Manipur's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Pradeep Kumar Jha, said on Saturday night that fresh polling will be held in these 11 polling stations under the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat.

“All voters of these 11 polling stations are appealed to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday,” the CEO told IANS.

The opposition Congress has demanded repoll in at least 47 polling stations in Manipur, alleging that a large number of polling booths were captured and vandalised on Friday.

Manipur Congress President K. Meghachandra Singh said the party has lodged a complaint with the Manipur CEO demanding repoll in 36 polling stations in the Inner Manipur seat and 11 polling stations in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency.

The CEO also said that 92-95 per cent of the displaced citizens presently staying in the relief camps cast their votes on Friday.

“We are very happy with the high turnout among the displaced persons who communicated that they wanted to be part of the democratic exercise,” Jha said.

The Election Commission had set up 85 special polling stations for the ethnic violence-hit displaced voters in seven districts of the state -- Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Churachandpur, and Kangpokpi.

Amid sporadic incidents of violence, 72.17 per cent of the 15.44 lakh voters, including 8.02 lakh women, exercised their franchise in Manipur's two Lok Sabha seats 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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