Northeast Desk, 26th April: In the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the remaining parts of the Outer Manipur constituency witnessed a robust voter turnout of 54.08 percent by 1 PM. Polling is being conducted across 857 stations spread across 13 assembly segments in eight districts.
During the initial two hours, the Tengnoupal assembly segment recorded the highest turnout at 45.28 percent, followed closely by the Jiribam assembly segment with 37.82 percent.
This phase includes areas that were not part of the first phase held on April 19, which covered fifteen assembly segments of the Outer Manipur constituency along with the entire Inner Manipur seat.
In this phase, voters are casting their ballots for four candidates: K Timothy Zimik of the NPF, Alfred Kanngam Arthur of the Congress, and Independents S Kho John and Alyson Abonmai. The BJP, while not fielding a candidate, is supporting its ally, the NPF. Over 4.84 lakh eligible voters are participating in this phase.
However, reports indicate that the Kuki-Zo community in Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District continued their abstention from voting during the second phase. This abstention extends to various polling stations in neighboring Senapati District, which is also part of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Despite completing voting in the first phase, certain Kuki-Zo villages in Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District fall under the Karong and Tadubi Assembly Constituencies of Senapati District, where the abstention persists.