Guwahati: The second and last phase of assembly elections in the state of Manipur began in 22 constituencies across six districts with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols at 7am on Saturday.
There are 92 candidates in the fray today. Thoubal, Chandel, Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Jiribam are among the district with 22 Assembly seats.
The BJP has fielded 22 candidates, followed by Congress (18), National People’s Party (11), Janata Dal (United) and Naga People’s Front (10 each) are among the challengers in the state’s election.
This time the spotlight is on the Thoubal district and the Naga-dominated hills, where the ruling BJP is facing severe opposition.
The regions on the state’s outskirts have long been strongholds of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the Congress with frequent bandhs and blockades.
The Election Commission’s first aim will be to avoid any violence during voting hours.
Former three-time chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and former Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam Gangmei both from the Congress are prominent contenders in the second phase.
The vote will take place under strict security until 4 p.m., with roughly 20,000 paramilitary soldiers on patrol and nearly 5,000 poll workers.
According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajesh Agarwal, all arrangements have been completed in 1,247 polling locations to follow COVID-19 safety norms.
According to the official, a total of 8.38 lakh voters in this phase.
223 polling sites will be administered entirely by women, according to the CEO.
In all voting sites, arrangements for webcasting or videography have been arranged, and adequate central forces have been deployed.
It needs to be mentioned that there were sporadic episodes of violence during the first phase of voting on February 28 in the remaining 38 constituencies in six districts, prompting a re-poll in 12 voting stations in three districts: Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Imphal East.