New Delhi: At least two gunfire incidents close to polling stations have been reported from the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency, as the restive state of Manipur voted in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections held on Thursday, April 19.
According to the Indian Express, a person named Khoisnam Sayamaima (65) received a bullet injury after an armed person opened fire at a polling station in Khurai in Imphal East, around 2 pm. Officials said the polling station was also vandalised and documents were set ablaze.
The second incident took place when some armed men opened fire at a polling station at Thamanpokpi under the Moirang Assembly segment. Three people have been injured, prompting authorities to swiftly step up security measures in the area, according to The Hindu.
Both incidents took place in the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency, which covers most of the state’s Meitei majority valley, where six candidates are in the fray.
The IE report citing local reports said that there was the presence of armed personnel – suspected to be members of the radical armed Meitei group Arambai Tenggol – at various polling stations in the valley. There are allegations on social media about booth capture in the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency by Arambai Tenggol.
Meanwhile, a video has emerged on social media where the Congress candidate from Inner Manipur, Bimol Akoijam, is seen complaining at a polling booth to central forces about its capturing by pro-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) miscreants. The video has gone viral.
Akoijam is heard asking security officers where were they when the miscreants entered the booth and threatened his poll agent. He is heard quoting a polling officer of the booth telling him about the commotion to capture the booth but security officials are seen refusing to accept his complaint. One officer later said that they would look into the complaint.
On the other hand, contrasting images emerged from the hill districts of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, dominated by Kukis.
Citing polling authorities, Imphal Free Press in a report said that many polling stations in Kangpokpi district wore deserted look voters did not turn out to vote until 1 pm. The polling percentage stood only at 21.87% until 1 pm, according to the Voter Turnout app of the Election Commission of India, and most of the voters were from Nagar and Nepali communities. On the other hand, Churachandpur district recorded 43.67% polling by 1 pm.
Several civil society organisations representing Kukis, including Kuki Inpi Manipur and CoTU, had appealed to the Kuki community to stay away from the Lok Sabha, in the wake of ongoing violence in the state.
