Estimated 40 per cent polling in Manipur till 1200 hrs

Imphal, Feb 23 (UNI) An estimated 40 per cent of the over 3,50,000 voters exercised their franchise till 1200 hrs today in the third and final phase of elections to 12 Manipur Assembly constituencies.

Polling is being held in three districts of Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Chandel and Jiribam sub-divisions.

Suspected ultras fired at a polling station in Tamenglong, about 150 km from here, disrupting voting for some time. Barring the incident, polling was moving on peacefully, state election office said.

The polling would continue till 1530 hrs.

Barring some stray incidents no major violence has been reported so far.

A report here said suspected ultras fired indiscriminately at booth no. 52/1 in Tamenglong district.

However, there was no immediate report of any casualty in the firing.

Despite a bandh call, given by the Joint Action Committee over the death of a pregnant woman in a hospital, serpentine queues, comprising a large number of women, were seen before most of the polling booths as soon as the voting started at 0700 hrs this morning.

The first phase was held in 19 Assembly constituencies on February 8 and the second in 29 on February 14.

Chief Electoral Officer R R Rashmi said specific barricades for checking movement of people had been set up by the police and adequate security arrangements had been taken up.

Today's voting would decide the fate of state Congress president Gaikhangam, Tribal development minister Phungzathang Tonsing, Information Minister TN Haokip, number two in the Okram Ibobi government Th Devendra and many others.

There are two women candidates. Chandel has the maximum of ten candidates while Singhat has three candidates.

Congress is contesting in 11 seats, LJSP-9, RJD-6 National Congress Party in 5, SP-5, BJP has three candidates, CPI 4, Manipur People's Party (MPP) 3, NPP-3, SAP-2, JD(U)-1, PDA-1, and Independents 23.

UNI