Manipur: Amidst the second phase of the Manipur Lok Sabha Elections, two major happenings have come forward. Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in an alleged attack by Kiku militants in Manipur's Bishnupur district. The attack, which reportedly involved gunmen and bombs, lasted for about two hours. The deceased soldiers belonged to the CRPF's 128th Battalion deployed in the area. Security forces launched search operations to apprehend the attackers.
Another Incident
In a separate incident, a gunfight erupted between two unidentified groups in the Kangpokpi and Imphal East districts, resulting in the death of a 33-year-old man identified as Laishram Prem. He was a village volunteer who went missing after the gunfire began. Security forces were deployed in the area to prevent further violence.
These incidents occurred amidst the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Manipur.
Statement By The Chief Electoral Officer
Manipur's Chief Electoral Officer, Pradeep Kumar Jha, reported a higher voter turnout and less violence in the Outer Manipur constituency compared to the 2019 elections. However, due to violence during the first phase, re-polling was conducted in 11 polling stations of the Inner Manipur constituency.
"Till the last report that we received about an hour back, the voting percentage was in the range of 75 per cent and no major hiccups were reported," said Manipur Chief Electoral Officer.
Additionally, he said that a sizable turnout participated in the second round of voting to exercise their right to vote. There was one reported instance of an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctioning at a polling place, but there were no significant issues.
"Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency, the 13 assembly segments... The voting has remained peaceful... One incident of damage to EVM has been reported so far. We are looking into it and have been following up with all the districts and they have reported that voting has been peaceful," he told ANI.
EVM Destroyed In Manipur
In Manipur's Ukhrul, irate voters destroyed the EVM after miscreants threatened them to vote for a certain party. An official who does not want to be named told ET, "The incident took place in the polling stations 44/41 and 44/50."
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh uploaded a video on X where a miscreant was threatening voters. He stated his concerns in the post.
"Democracy is under threat. This video is from TODAY in Ukhrul District, Outer Manipur. Voters are being forced to vote only for the NPF, the BJP’s alliance partner, rather than the Congress. The security forces are standing there mutely as our democracy is hijacked. These are the most important elections of our lifetime."
Manipur Lok Sabha polls
Jha expressed hope for a peaceful conclusion to the elections, highlighting that only minor incidents had disrupted voting. The Election Commission's voter turnout app indicated a participation rate of 78.78% in the Outer Manipur constituency at the time of his statement.
