Manipur bypolls: 37.61 percent voting recorded in four Assembly seats till 11 am

Manipur: Around 37.61 percent of the total 1.35 lakh electors exercised their franchise in the first four hours of polling for by-elections to four assembly seats in Manipur on Saturday, amid tight security and strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocol, an Election Commission official said. Polling began at 7 am and no untoward incident has been reported so far, he said. An estimated 37.61 percent electors cast their ballots till 11 am in 203 polling stations, the EC official said. More than 1.35 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the bypolls to Lilong and Wangjing-Tentha seats in Thoubal district, Saitu in Kangpokpi and Wangoi in Imphal West, he said. The voters will decide the fate of 11 candidates in the four seats. The by-elections were necessitated after Congress MLAs of the four constituencies had resigned from the state Legislative Assembly and also quit the party. They had joined the BJP. The ruling BJP is contesting in three seats and supporting an independent candidate in Lilong assembly segment, while the opposition Congress is in the fray in all four constituencies. The Wangoi assembly segment will witness an interesting battle as the National People’’s Party (NPP), a coalition partner of the BJP-led government in the state, has fielded its candidate against the nominees of the Congress and the saffron camp. All safety measures are in place as the voting is taking place in the midst of the raging COVID-19, the official said. Electors with COVID-19 related symptoms will be allowed to vote in the last hour of the poll. All polling personnel have been provided with personal protection equipment (PPE). Polling will continue till 5 pm, and counting of votes will be conducted on 10 November.