Manipur Assembly Elections: Polling begins for 38 seats in the first phase

All polling stations have been sanitised and circles have been marked outside the polling booths to enable the voters to maintain social distancing while they stand in a queue.

Polling in the first phase of assembly elections in Manipur began on Monday in 38 constituencies spread across five districts with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

As many as 12,09,439 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to elect their representatives from among 173 candidates, across 1,721 polling stations.

The prominent candidates in the fray include Chief Minister and BJP candidate N Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand Singh, Deputy Chief Minister and NPP candidate Yumnam Joykumar and Manipur Congress president N Lokesh Singh.

Of the 38 seats, 10 constituencies are in Imphal East, 13 in Imphal West, six each in Bishnupur and Churachandpur, and three in Kangpokpi district.

Manipur Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agarwal has said that out of the total 173 candidates, 39 have criminal antecedents.

The BJP has fielded candidates in all the 38 seats, followed by Congress with 35 contestants, NPP with 27, JD (U) with 28, Shiv Sena with seven, RPI (Athawale) with six, LJP (Ram Vilas) with three, and Kuki National Assembly and Kuki People's Alliance with two each. Eighteen Independents are also in the fray.

As many as 6,884 polling personnel have been deployed for the exercise. Arrangements for webcasting are in place and micro-observers have been deployed at sensitive polling stations.