Municipal election campaigning ends today

Imphal, May 29 (UNI) Braving heavy rainfall, candidates and their supporters continued their campaign to woo voters for May 31 Imphal Municipal elections.

Campaigning for the 27 wards of the Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) will end at 4 pm today. Vehicles carrying loud speakers are moving around in the city to seek votes.

About 103 candidates are in the fray for the 27 wards of IMC, including ten seats reserved for women. Twenty wards are from Imphal West and seven from Imphal East.

The Congress and the Communist Party of India, both allies of the ruling Secular Progressive Front (SPF) government have decided to go for a friendly contest.

The Congress party has put up 25 candidates, the NCP 16, CPI eight and other parties also fielded one or two candidates.

Election officials said about 2.4 lakh people will exercise their franchise at 232 polling stations and about 1160 officials will be posted at the booths. Eight polling stations have been classified as sensitive. Counting of votes will begin on June 2.

The BJP has not been able to work freely due to the ban on election activities of the party by militant outfit Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL). The KYKL has demanded that former Union Minister Th Chaoba be expelled from the party for alleged involvement in corruption. The militant outfit said it will ban all activities of BJP until Chaoba was expelled from the party.

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