Over 92 % turnout in Manipur bypolls, polling peaceful

IMPHAL: Over 92 per cent of the 1,33,136-strong electorate had cast their votes in by-polls to the four assembly seats in Manipur on Saturday amid elaborate security and strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols, election officials said, election officials said.

Manipur's Joint Electoral Officer Karam Bono Singh said that there was no major untoward incident reported till the polling officially ended at 5 p.m."Maintaining the social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols, the voters, specially the young and women electorates joined the voting queue in many places before opening the polling stations at 7 p.m."

"The voting percentage might increase as many voters are in the queue at the closing time of 5 p.m. in several polling station areas," Singh said over phone.

Another election department official said that 1,33,136 voters, including 67,802 women, are eligible to vote at 203 polling stations in the bypolls to Lilong and Wangjing—Tentha seats in Thoubal district, Saitu in Kangpokpi, and Wangoi in Imphal West district.

The voters will decide the fate of 11 candidates in fray for the four assembly constituencies for which the bypolls were necessitated after sitting Congress legislators, elected in the 2017 elections, resigned from the Assembly and the party to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. BJP candidate Ginsuanhau was elected unopposed from Singhat seat in Churachandpur district on October 22 after Independent nominee Chinlunthang withdrew his candidature. (IANS)

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