Imphal (Manipur) [India], July 13 (ANI): A truck driver in the Minuthong area was arrested by the Imphal West District Police for carrying opium worth Rs 10 crore in his truck.

Kakching (Manipur) [India], March 3 (ANI): Ahead of the second phase of the Manipur Assembly Election, the Election Commission on Thursday ordered re-polling in 12 polling stations falling under five Assembly constituencies in Churachandpur, Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts as violence is still continuing in Kakching Khunou.

Imphal (Manipur) [India], March 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Manipur Pradesh on Wednesday in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Manipur have demanded re-polling at 23 polling stations over allegations of booth capturing, bogus voting and violence during the first phase of Assembly elections.

Imphal (Manipur) [India], February 28 (ANI): With the conclusion of the first phase of Manipur Assembly elections on Monday, the state recorded an average voter turnout of 78.30 per cent, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Imphal Feb 28 PTI Stray incidents of violence marred the first phase of Manipur assembly elections to 38 constituencies on Monday as 7803 per cent of around 1209 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 5 PM when polling ended an hour after the time announced earlier officials said Naorem Ibochouba a state police personnel deployed for poll duty in Tipaimukh assembly constituency in Churachandpur district died in a suspected case of accidental firing from his service rifle Chief Electoral Officer CEO Rajesh Agarwal saidThe highest voter turnout of 8297 per cent was recorded in Kangpokpi district followed by Imphal West 8219 per cent Imphal East 7664 per cent and Churachandpur 7445 per cent the officials saidThe final percentage will be available after the return of the polling partiesVoting at 1721 polling stations was more or less peaceful except for stray incidents of violence as EVMs were damaged by miscreants at Saitu Henglep and Singhat constituenciesFIRs were registered in the incidents of EVM damage in seven polling stations the CEO saidAs there were complaints that the pace of polling was slow in certain booths those who came before 4 pm were allowed to cast their votes Agarwal saidA polling staff died of haemorrhagic stroke in Tipaimukh constituency he saidAt least one person was injured in a clash between two political parties in Churachandpur districtAlleged Congress workers vandalised a BJP polling booth in Kakwa area in Langthabal constituency in Imphal West district while a vehicle of an NPP candidate was damaged by supporters of a rival group in Keirao assembly seat although nobody was injured in the incident Security forces fired in the air to control the crowd at New Keithelmanbi polling station in Kangpokpi district The situation arose after Congress accused BJP of attempting to capture the booth Prominent candidates in the fray in the first phase of the elections include the chief minister Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand Singh Deputy Chief Minister and NPP candidate Yumnam Joykumar and Manipur Congress president N Lokesh Singh Of the 38 seats 10 constituencies are in Imphal East 13 in Imphal West six each in Bishnupur and Churachandpur and three in Kangpokpi district Nine seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and one for Scheduled Castes All-women personnel are conducting voting in 381 polling stations PWD personnel are manning a polling station in Saikot assembly seat in Churachandpur The BJP has fielded candidates in all the 38 seats followed by Congress with 35 contestants NPP with 27 JD U with 28 Shiv Sena with seven RPI Athawale with six LJP Ram Vilas with three and Kuki National Assembly and Kuki Peoples Alliance with two each Eighteen Independents are also in the fray Congress had on Sunday night expelled its candidate in Wangoi constituency Salam Joy Singh from the primary membership of the party on disciplinary grounds The BJP had formed the government in Manipur in 2017 with the support of the National Peoples Party NPP Naga Peoples Front NPF and the Lok Janshakti Party LJP However the saffron party is contesting all the seats alone this time The Congress has formed an alliance with CPI CPIM Forward Bloc RSP and Janata Dal Secular The grand old party had emerged as the single largest party winning 28 of the 60 seats in the 2017 state polls The voting for the remaining 22 seats in the 60-member House will take place in the second phase on March 5 while the counting of votes will be held on March 10 All polling stations were sanitised and circles marked outside polling booths to enable voters to maintain social distancing while standing in a queue PTI COR ACD NN NN

Imphal (Manipur) [India], February 28 (ANI): Amid reports of Manipur poll disruption in Keithelmanbi in Imphal West district, Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agarwal on Monday said that the state Election Commission is examining whether or not to continue the polls as an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) machine has been found to have been broken.

Imphal (Manipur) [India], February 28 (ANI): A voter turnout of 48.88 per cent was recorded till 1 am for the first phase of Manipur elections, the Election Commission of India informed on Monday.

Imphal Feb 28 PTI A total of 99 per cent of 1209 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of voting in 38 constituencies in the first phase of assembly elections in Manipur on Monday At least one person was injured in a clash between members of two political parties in a remote place in Churachandpur district police said An EVM was damaged in the clash It has been replaced and voting will recommence soon an election official said Voting across the state began at 7 AM in 1721 polling stations in five districts amid tight security and strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols A total of 173 candidates including 15 women are in the fray All-women personnel are conducting voting in 381 polling stations PWD personnel are manning a polling station in Saikot assembly seat in Churachandpur Governor La Ganesan and Chief Minister N Biren Singh were among the early voters The governor after casting his vote at a polling booth in T G Higher Secondary School in Sagolband assembly constituency in Imphal West district appealed to all eligible voters in Manipur to exercise their franchise The chief minister and his wife cast their votes in a model polling station in Heingang constituency in Imphal East district Singh urged people to maintain peace Prominent candidates in the fray include the chief minister Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand Singh Deputy Chief Minister and NPP candidate Yumnam Joykumar and Manipur Congress president N Lokesh Singh Of the 38 seats 10 constituencies are in Imphal East 13 in Imphal West six each in Bishnupur and Churachandpur and three in Kangpokpi district Nine seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and one for Scheduled Castes Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agarwal has said that out of the total 173 candidates 39 have criminal antecedents The BJP has fielded candidates in all the 38 seats followed by Congress with 35 contestants NPP with 27 JD U with 28 Shiv Sena with seven RPI Athawale with six LJP Ram Vilas with three and Kuki National Assembly and Kuki Peoples Alliance with two each Eighteen Independents are also in the fray Hours before the assembly polls got underway Congress had on Sunday night expelled its candidate in Wangoi constituency Salam Joy Singh from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect on disciplinary grounds As many as 6884 polling personnel have been deployed in the polls Arrangements for webcasting are in place and micro-observers have been deployed at sensitive polling stations Central forces along with state security forces are conducting patrolling and area domination in the five districts to boost confidence among the voters election officials said Photo Voter Slip has been discontinued as identity proof and voters are required to produce documents approved by the Election Commission of India such as EPIC card Aadhaar card MNREGA job card driving license and PAN card The BJP had formed the government in Manipur in 2017 with the support of the National Peoples Party NPP Naga Peoples Front NPF and the Lok Janshakti Party LJP However the saffron party is contesting all the seats alone this time The Congress has formed an alliance with CPI CPIM Forward Bloc RSP and Janata Dal Secular The grand old party had emerged as the single largest party winning 28 of the 60 seats in the 2017 state polls The voting for the remaining 22 seats in the 60-member House will take place in the second phase on March 5 while the counting of votes will be held on March 10 All polling stations have been sanitised and circles have been marked outside the polling booths to enable the voters to maintain social distancing while they stand in a queue Wearing masks using hand sanitiser and conducting thermal screening are among the other COVID protocols to be carried out at the polling booths Polling will end at 4 PM and COVID-19 patients can vote between 3 PM and 4 PM PTI COR ACD ACD

Imphal Feb 28 PTI Less than half an hour after voting commenced in Manipur Governor La Ganesan and Chief Minister N Biren Singh exercised their franchise in their respective constituencies The governor after casting his vote at a polling booth in T G Higher Secondary School in Sagolband assembly constituency in Imphal West district appealed to all eligible voters in Manipur to exercise their franchise There is democracy in our country and the sign of democracy is election The poll officers have made good arrangements he said Ganesan has been enrolled as a voter in Sagolband seat He was handed over the EPIC card by the CEO earlier this month He was earlier enrolled as a voter in Thiyagaraya Nagar assembly constituency in Chennai The chief minister and his wife cast their votes in a model polling station in Heingang constituency in Imphal East district I request all voters to exercise their franchise and maintain peace he said Polling in 38 constituencies in the 60-member assembly began at 7 AM amid tight security and strict adherence to COVID-19 norms PTI COR ACD ACD

Imphal (Manipur) [India], February 28 (ANI): As polling for the first phase of Manipur Assembly elections is underway, State Election Commission on Monday informed that the voter turnout touched 11.68 per cent in the state till 10 am.