Imphal: About 70 per cent vote was polled on Thursday for the Inner Manipur Parliamentary seat.
Voting began at 0700 hours and concluded officially at 1600 hours. Though the turnout was slightly low during the early hours, it picked up as the day progressed. There was slight drizzle sporadically.
However, the final tally will increase as voting still continued in some polling stations. All those who entered polling stations before 1600 hours would be allowed to vote.
Eight candidates, including a woman, are in the fray.
Manipur has two seats and today was the last day of the two phase elections.
In the first phase of elections on April 9 ten candidates were in the fray for the Outer Manipur seat (ST).
The candidates for the Inner Manipur seat are sitting Congress MP, Dr Th Meinya, Dr. M. Nara of CPI, Oinam Indira (Independent), BJP candidate Dr R K Ranjan, Dr G Tonsana Sharma of Manipur Democratic People’s Front, Trinamool Congress candidate S Manaobi, Kh Ibomcha of AAP and Oinam Jotin of Jai Maha Bharath Party. Most of the candidates voted early attired in white dresses.
The total numbers of voters were 874704 (male-423026, female-446909) covering 1406 polling stations in 32 Assembly Constituencies . There were two General Observers one Expenditure Observers- Police Observers and 24 Awareness Observers and 7030 polling personnel. 78 polling stations were declared hyper-sensitive, 832 sensitive while the rest 346 were normal.
About 136 companies of state armed forces including IRB, 47 companies of unarmed state forces and 68 companies of paramilitary forces have been pressed into service.
The turnout was high reaching 80 per cent at Thoubal district. However, in some polling stations there was low turnout to protest arrest of a man by Assam Rifles personnel . At 17/29 of Langban of Lamsang Assembly Constituency people refused to vote as one Khaidem Deven (38) was apprehended by troops of 10 Assam Rifles .
At four polling stations of Leimaram , Bishenpur district, there was low turnout as people protested the alleged assault of a woman by an armed person. The voting was largely peaceful. (UNI)
