Voting for the Lok Sabha in certain zones of Imphal took a tumultuous turn as polling was halted following allegations of irregularities by some women. The incident occurred at 5 Thongju and 31 Khongman zones of Imphal, where chaos ensued after the allegations surfaced.
Amid the sudden escalation, the polling officer made the decision to close the booths in question and promptly reported the matter to the district collector of Imphal East. Officials confirmed that polling was stopped in a total of five booths, two in East Imphal and three in the West, due to protests over alleged irregularities.
The disruption comes against the backdrop of ongoing ethnic strife and violence in the Northeast state of Manipur. Tensions have been simmering for close to a year, particularly between the majority Meiteis, who inhabit the valleys and plains, and the Kukis residing in the higher reaches. The conflict intensified after the Manipur High Court directed the state government to consider granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meiteis.
Despite the disruption, Chief Minister N Biren Singh made an appearance to cast his vote at a polling booth in Luwangsangbam Mamang Leikai, situated in Imphal East, amidst the ongoing first phase of elections.
Polling, which commenced at 7 am on Friday, is scheduled to continue until 4 pm. All 32 assembly segments of the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and 15 assembly segments of the Outer Manipur (ST) Parliamentary Constituency are participating in the Lok Sabha elections presently.
A total of 15,44,652 voters, comprising 7,41,849 men, 8,02,557 women, and 246 individuals from the transgender community, are exercising their franchise across the country in Phase 1 of polling, as per official figures. The voting process is being conducted across 2107 polling stations, with a noteworthy aspect being the management of 645 polling stations by all-women polling personnel, along with two stations exclusively managed by Persons with Disabilities (PwD).
