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Election Officer (CEO) Rajesh Agarwal has given this information. The CEO said that a total of 8.38 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase in Thoubal, Chandel, Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Jiribam districts. The BJP has fielded 22 candidates, followed by Congress (18), National People’s Party (11), Janata Dal (United) and Naga People’s Front (10-10). Altogether 12 independents and candidates from Shiv Sena, NCP, CPI and several other parties are also contesting the polls.
Agarwal said that of the 92 candidates, 17 had criminal history. He said that fully women polling personnel will be deployed at 223 polling stations. Webcasting or videography has been arranged at all polling stations while adequate central forces have been deployed.
The first phase of polling, held on February 28, was disrupted by sporadic incidents of violence and re-polling was ordered at 12 polling stations in three districts – Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Imphal East. The CEO said that in these areas where EVMs were damaged by miscreants, voting will also take place on Saturday. Aggarwal said the polling stations were sanitized, while circles were made around the polling stations for voters to stand in queues to ensure COVID safe elections to avoid crowding.
“Besides, masks, gloves, face shields, thermal scanners, PPE kits have been provided to the polling parties. Voters who are COVID positive or under quarantine will be allowed to vote in the last hour between 3 pm and 4 pm,” he said. Mobile phones are not allowed within 100 meters of the polling station except for the officers on duty. Meanwhile, the Manipur High Court has directed that all voters in the Herok constituency of Thoubal district, who are in their 18 years and above, will have to produce two separate documents as proof of date of birth at the polling station. Separate verification counters will be set up at all polling stations in that constituency so that other voters are not inconvenienced.
According to the Association for Democratic Reforms, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh became poorer by over Rs 4 lakh since 2017, while his deputy Yumnam Joykumar Singh’s wealth nearly doubled during the same period. The chief minister’s assets fell from Rs 1.52 crore in 2017 to Rs 1.47 crore in 2022, the report said. On the other hand, the assets of his deputy increased from Rs 2.29 crore to Rs 5.05 crore during the same period.
The report said, “Out of 60 MLAs who contested for re-election, the assets of 53 MLAs (88%) increased from 1% to 1,682% and the assets of seven MLAs (12%) decreased from 3% to 34% Is.” , The average assets of these 60 re-contesting MLAs, fielded by different parties, including independents, in 2017 stood at Rs 2.28 crore, which rose to Rs 4.22 crore in 2022. The average asset growth of these MLAs who contested for re-election between 2017 and 2022 is Rs 1.93. core or 85%.
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