Manipur: High Turnout of 81.16% Recorded in Repolling for Outer Manipur Lok Sabha Seat

IMPHAL: Amid tight security measures and a vigilant electoral process marking the setting, the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency saw a robust turnout of 81.16%. Voters exercised their franchise in repolling across six polling stations. Repolling occurred on Tuesday after incidents of electoral malpractice during the initial polling phase.

Election officials were overseeing the proceedings; they confirmed that voting commenced punctually at 7 am. It progressed peacefully throughout the day. The day concluded at 4 pm without any untoward incidents. This significant turnout emphasizes the commitment of electorate to participate in the democratic process. They do this despite the challenges.

The need for repolling came due to various disruptions encountered during the initial polling phase. At four of the six polling stations unidentified individuals tampered with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). They also interfered with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs). These incidents occurred before the completion of voting on April 26. There were also technical issues with EVMs at one station. Another polling station saw disruptions caused by threats and intimidation by unidentified miscreants.

A notification issued by the office of Manipur's chief electoral officer, recently declared the voting as null and void. This included four polling stations in the Ukhrul assembly segment. It also included one each in the Chingai assembly seat in Ukhrul and Karong in Senapati. These areas together represent a significant fraction of the electorate. They comprise of 4156 voters. These voters come mainly from the Ukhrul district.

During the initial polling on April 26, a sizable number of registered voters made their voices heard. Approximately 76.06% of the 4.84 lakh registered voters cast their ballots. This was across 13 of the 28 assembly segments in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency. The remaining 15 segments along with the whole Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat underwent their voting. This occurred in the first phase on April 19.

Despite setbacks faced during the electoral process something remained prominent. The high voter turnout in the repolling signifies the resilience of democracy in Manipur. The nonviolent conduct of voting was noteworthy. This was facilitated by stringent security arrangements. It underscores the determination of voters and election officials alike. They aim to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.

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