Manipur 2nd phase polls: 67% turnout till 3 pm amid reports of violence

Manipur recorded 67.77 per cent polling till 3 pm on Saturday in the second and final phase of the assembly elections across 22 constituencies, amid stray incidents of violence reported from some places before and after voting started, officials said.

Voting began at 7 am in 1,247 polling stations across six districts amid tight security and strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. A total of 8.38 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase.

Senapati district registered the highest turnout of 74.02 per cent, followed by Chandel at 70.30 per cent, an election official said.

Polling was marred to some extent due to violence in some places, as security forces deployed at Ngamju polling station under Karong assembly constituency in Senapati district allegedly shot at two people, police said, without elaborating.

In a complaint filed with the Returning Officer of the polling station, the election agent of a BJP candidate demanded a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

Voting has been halted at the Ngamju polling station, the election official said.

Violence also erupted in some places of Manipur hours before the second phase of assembly polls began, as a BJP supporter was gunned down allegedly by a Congress worker, while a crude bomb exploded outside the residence of an expelled saffron party leader, police said.

L Amuba Singh, 25, succumbed to bullet injuries early on Saturday at a hospital here, a police officer said.

In Imphal West district, unidentified miscreants lobbed a crude bomb at the residence of expelled BJP leader Ch Bijoy in Lamphel area on Friday night, police said.

Nobody was injured in the blast triggered by two masked persons, who came in a two-wheeler, they said.

Among the early voters was Congress leader and former chief minister O Ibobi Singh in Thoubal district.

"Congress will definitely win with an absolute majority, but in case we fall short by one or two seats, the party is open for a coalition," he said after casting his vote.

The electoral fate of 92 candidates will be decided on Saturday, including 12 from the BJP, followed by Congress (18), National People's Party (11), Janata Dal (United) and Naga People's Front (10 each).