Manipur polls: 76.04 pc turn out till 5 pm, expected to touch 85 pc in 2nd phase

Imphal, Mar 5: The second phase of Manipur Assembly poll on Saturday recorded 76.04 per cent turn out till 5 pm amid stray incidents of violence in some places before and after the begining of voting, election department officials said.

"The second phase (Final phase) of the Manipur Assembly elections was largely peaceful. 76.62% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm. Final data will be calculated after all polling parties come back. We're expecting around 85% turnout," Rajesh Agarwal, Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur.

The polling was conducted in 22 constituencies across six districts amid tight security and strict adherence to COVID-19 protocol. Senapati district, where polling was held in three assembly constituencies registered the highest turn out of 82.02 per cent followed by Thoubal district at 78 per cent.

Thoubal has 10 constituencies, the officials said. Ukhrul and Chandel districts which have three constituencies registered 71.57 and 76.71 per cent respectively while Tamenglong with three constituencies registered the least turn out with 66.40 per cent. Jiribam, the smallest district with only one constituency recorded 75.02 per cent polling.

Polling was marred by violence in some places, as security forces deployed at Ngamju polling station in Karong assembly constituency in Senapati district allegedly shot at two people, the police said.

The election agent of a BJP candidate in a complaint filed with the returning officer demanded a magisterial inquiry into the incident and polling has been halted at the Ngamju polling station, the election official said. Violence was reported from some places of the north east state hours before the second phase of polling commenced as a BJP supporter was gunned down allegedly by a Congress worker and a crude bomb exploded outside the residence of an expelled saffron party leader, police said. PTI