IMPHAL: Bypolls for Thangmeiband and Thongju Assembly constituencies began today at 0700 hours amid tight security and general strike imposed by militants.
Heavy turnout of people was seen in both the constituencies with supporters of the candidates camping near the polling stations.
The voting will continue till 1600 hours, however, all those who were inside the polling stations will be allowed to exercise their franchise.
Chief Electoral Officer O Nabakishore said the election was monitored by flying squads, surveillance teams and video teams.
Three observers, micro-observers and sector magistrates were monitoring the election process to ensure free and fair elections, he said. So far, there is no report of any untoward incident, according to election officials. Ten companies of security personnel were deployed in the polling stations. 5-Thongju A/C has 45 polling stations while 9-Thangmeiband A/C, has 41 polling stations. State forces were deployed around the polling stations and a strong mobile police force were deployed in the two constituencies. A total of 53,328 electorate are expected to exercise their franchise. The numbers of female voters exceed male voters in both the constituencies. A total of 25,114 voters (13,687 females) are eligible to cast votes in Thangmeiband constituency while in Thongju A/C, a total of 28,214 voters (14,564 females) will cast their votes. INC candidate Bijoy Koijam, BJP candidate Th Biswajit and Manipur Democratic People’s Front (MDPF) candidate G Tonsana were in the fray in Thongju A/C while INC candidate Jyotin Waikhom, BJP candidate Khumukcham Joykishan and MDPF candidate G Tonsana will contest at the Thangmeiband A/C. The seats of Thangmeiband and Thongju A/Cs had fallen vacant after Speaker?s tribunal disqualified three MLAs Thongam Biswajit Singh of Thongju and Khumukcham Joykishan of Thangmeiband and O Lukhoi of Wangoi under the anti-defection law on May 28 last. The case of O Lukhoi was, however, stayed by the Manipur High Court. The Central observers have also reached the state. The militant outfit URF/MA has imposed a 12 hour bandh in Imphal East and Imphal West from 8 am to 8 today to boycott the bypoll and Sangai Tourism Festival which begins today. The bandh, however, did not affect the bypoll. All the offices , educational institutes in the two constituencies were closed down today. (UNI)
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