Imphal, April 26: Voting for the remaining part of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency began on Friday morning amidst heavy security covers. Friday’s polling being held in the remaining 13 Assembly segments under the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency, while voting for 15 of the 28 Assembly segments in the seat as well as the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat was held on the first phase on April 19. According to election officials, a total of 4,84,949 voters, including 2,45,807 female electors, are eligible to cast votes in 848 polling stations on Friday to decide the electorate fate of four candidates.
Over 3,400 polling personnel were posted to conduct Friday’s elections in the tribal reserved seat. Voters, sheltered in relief camps due to the nearly yearlong ethnic violence, would exercise their franchise at nine special polling stations set up in the relief camps in three districts, an election official said. While the state’s ruling BJP is contesting the Inner Manipur seat, it has extended support to the Naga People’s Front (NPF) nominee Kachui Timothy Zimik, who replaced sitting MP Lorho S. Pfoze, in the Outer Manipur seat.
The Congress-led INDIA bloc has fielded Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur. Though two Independents -- S. Kho John and Alyson Abonmai -- are also contesting in the Lok Sabha seat, the main contest will be between Zimik and Arthur, both Nagas. The Naga community has professed to remain neutral during ethnic conflict between the Meiteis of the Valley and the Kumi-Zomis of the hills. In view of the ethnic strife, campaigning for the two Lok Sabha seats -- Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur -- was significantly subdued this time.
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