Aroung 35 per cent polling recorded till noon in Manipur

Imphal, Feb 8 (UNI) Under a heavy downpour and a massive security blanket, an estimated 35 per cent electorate exercised their franchise till this noon in the first phase Assembly election to 19 seats in three districts of Manipur.

Police said torrential rain was playing a spoilsport, bringing down the percentage of polling.

At around 1100 hours, the rain god slightly relented and people came out in a large number to exercise their democratic rights.

No untoward incident barring a minor scuffle between rival party supporters at Sugny Assembly constituency of Thoubal district had been reported from any part of the three districts, police added.

Official sources said about 35 per cent polling was recorded till noon today.

Voting was being held in altogether ten segments of Thoubal district, six of Senapati district and three of Ukhrul district.

Today's poll would decide the fate of altogether 77 candidates, including two women, in 718 polling stations, 271 of which had been identified as hyper-sensitive and 443 sensitive.

All the polling stations were being guarded by armed security personnel and the sensitive and hyper-sensitive ones were being manned by two or more sections of armed personnel.

Wangkhem, Karong and Kangpokpi Assembly segments have the highest number of six candidates.

While, the Congress had fielded nominees in all the 19 seats, the Manipur People's Party was fighting it out in eight, the NCP and the RJD in five each, the CPI in four, the LJSP in three, the Manipur State Congress Party and the SP in two each and NNP and NPP one each.

Prominent among those, whose fate will be decided in this phase, are Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, who will contest from Thoubal and Heirok seats, and Speaker Md Maniruddin Shaik (Congress), who will try to retain Lilong against Md Allauddin of NCP and Md Helaluddin Khan of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

UNI