India to rerun election at some Manipur polling booths after violence
Voting will be rerun at 11 polling stations after reports of violence and damage to voting machines in the Indian state of Manipur which has been hit by months of ethnic clashes.
Indian authorities – which are currently staging the world’s biggest election – declared the voting void at the 11 location in Manipur and ordered the fresh poll for Monday, the chief electoral officer of the state said in a statement late on Saturday.
The main opposition Congress party had demanded a rerun at 47 Manipur polling stations, alleging that booths were captured and elections were rigged.
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There were scattered incidents of violence on Friday in the state, including clashes among armed groups and attempts to take over polling stations under heavy security.
Friday marked the start of voting by nearly one billion people in the world’s most-populous country, in an election running through until 1 June. Prime minister Narendra Modi is forecast to win a rare third term.
Manipur has been roiled by fighting between the majority Meitei and tribal Kuki people since May last year. It remains divided between a valley controlled by Meiteis and Kuki-dominated hills, separated by a stretch of no man’s land monitored by federal paramilitary forces.
The violence broke out over the potential extension of affirmative action rights available to the Kukis, who make up 16% of the state’s population, to the Meiteis, who form 53% of the people.
State and election officials made efforts to ensure that about 24,500 people displaced by the unrest could vote, replacing lost identity cards, verifying names in voter rolls and setting up 85 special polling booths for those living in relief camps.
On Friday, residents of the state turned out in large numbers to vote amid heavy security.
At least six instances of groups trying to take over polling stations were reported in the state capital Imphal, said an election official.
“Armed mobs came and tried to take control of the polling station,” he said.
Although election campaign meetings were held behind closed doors because of fears of violence in the state of 3.6 million people, there was at least 68% voter turnout.
The national election will be conducted in seven phases, partly to ensure sufficient security at polling booths across the vast country. In the case of Manipur, voting will another phase of voting is set for 26 April.
Both parliamentary seats in Manipur were won by prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally in 2019.