IMPHAL, Nov 7 - Manipur today witnessed a high voter turnout in the by-elections to four Assembly constituencies held amid tight security and the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. Speaking to The Assam Tribune on the phone, Manipur Chief Electoral Officer PK Singh said that the polling percentage could be more than 90 per cent. He added that the polling was by and large peaceful.
Voters, mostly women, turned up at the polling stations in huge numbers, wearing masks. Polling personnel provided them gloves and sanitizers. It may be noted that the by-elections in the State were necessitated after the sitting MLAs resigned from the Manipur Legislative Assembly in August.
Polling, which began from 7 am, continued till 5 pm across 203 polling stations under the four Assembly constituencies. The fate of 11 candidates will be decided in the electoral exercise.
State Agriculture Minister Oinam Lukhoi Singh of the ruling BJP is contesting from the Wangoi seat in Imphal West. He is locked in a triangular fight with Salam Joy Singh of the Congress and Khuraijam Loken Singh of the National People�s Party (NPP). Notably, the NPP is the BJP�s coalition partner in the ruling front.
The BJP has fielded two more candidates � Ngamthang Haokip at Saitu and Paonam Brojen at Wangjing-Tentha Assembly constituencies. It is supporting Independent candidate Md Abdul Nasir, a former minister during the Congress regime, in the Lilong constituency.
The Opposition Congress has put up candidates in all the four constituencies. They are Moirangthem Hemanta Singh (Wangjing-Tentha), Salam Joy Singh (Wangoi), Md Azizul Haque Khan (Lilong) and Lamtinthang Haokip (Saitu).
Earlier, two candidates had withdrawn their nomination papers in Lilong and one in Singhat, leaving the latter seat for BJP candidate Ginsuanhau who has been elected unopposed.
The BJP-led coalition Government in Manipur came to power in March, 2017 with the support of four MLAs each from the NPP and the NPF, besides one MLA each from the TMC, the Lok Janshakti Party and an Independent, in the 60 member House.
