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22-04-2024
Bureau Report + Agencies
NEW DELHI/ MANIPUR: India, staging the world’s biggest election, will rerun voting at 11 polling stations in the northeastern state of Manipur on Monday after reports of violence and damage to voting machines in the state torn by months of ethnic clashes.
The election authorities declared the voting void at the 11 locations and ordered the fresh poll, the chief electoral officer of Manipur said in a statement late on Saturday.
Friday marked the start of voting by nearly one billion people in the world’s most-populous country, in an election running through June 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is forecast to win a rare third term on the back of issues such as growth, welfare and Hindu nationalism.
The main opposition Congress party had demanded a rerun at 47 Manipur polling stations, alleging that booths were captured and elections were rigged.
There were scattered incidents of violence on Friday in the state, including clashes among armed groups and attempts to take over polling stations under heavy security. Voters turned out in large numbers, despite the threat of clashes that have killed at least 220 people in the past year.
Manipur has been roiled by fighting between the majority Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo people since May. It remains divided between a valley controlled by Meiteis and Kuki-dominated hills, separated by a stretch of no-man’s land monitored by federal paramilitary forces.
Residents of India’s violence-torn northeastern state of Manipur turned out in large numbers to vote on Friday, despite the shadow of ethnic clashes that killed at least 220 people in the last year hanging over the national election.
The state has been roiled by fighting between the majority Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo people since May, and continues to be divided into two enclaves – a valley controlled by Meiteis and Kuki-dominated hills, separated by a stretch of “no man’s land” monitored by federal paramilitary forces.
There were scattered incidents of violence on Friday in the state, despite heavy security.
At least six instances of groups trying to take over polling stations were reported in the state capital Imphal, said an election official, who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
“Armed mobs came and tried to take control of the polling station,” he said, adding that re-polling may be required in some booths.
There was also a firing incident between two armed groups in Bishnupur district but voting continued, the official added.
Although election campaign meetings were held behind closed doors because of fears of violence in the state of 3.6 million people, there was 68% voter turnout by 5 p.m. on Friday as polling stations closed.
“We expect the turnout to go up a little. Overall, people turned up and came out to vote,” Pradeep Jha, Manipur’s chief election officer, said earlier in the day.
The national election began on Friday and will be conducted in seven phases, partly to ensure sufficient security at polling booths across the vast country. In the case of Manipur, voting will be completed in two phases, with the second set for April 26.
Both parliamentary seats in Manipur were won by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally in 2019.
The violence in Manipur broke out last year over the potential extension of affirmative action rights available to the Kukis, who make up 16% of the state’s population, to the Meiteis, who form 53% of the people.
