Polling begins in Manipur on a dull note

Imphal, Feb 8 (UNI) Amidst a massive security blanket, polling for the first phase Assembly election to 19 seats in Manipur began on a dull note at 0700 hours this morning.

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

The fate of 77 candidates, including two women, would be decided in 718 polling stations, 271 of which had been identified as hyper-sensitive and 443 sensitive.

About 804 EVMs were being used in the first phase.

Chief Electoral Officer R R Rashmi said 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.

Each section comprised about eight to ten security personnel.

A total of 5,99,377 electorate, including 3,07,052 women, will exercise their franchise.

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