IMPHAL, Feb 2: A Joint security meeting was convened in connection with the ensuing bye-election to the Konthoujam A/C, presided by the chief electoral officer Lwamkunga IAS at Manipur Secretariat South Block conference hall for the smooth conduct of the proposed bye-election to the Konthoujam Assembly which is scheduled to be held on February 14 next week.
According to a highly placed official source, the joint official meeting which was convened, chaired by the chief election officer of the state today has chalked out numbers of the security forces to be deployed for the said bye-election.
In the meantime, a similar meeting convened last December soon after the announcement of the bye election had decided that there will be deployment of 15 armed security personnel including six central paramilitary forces and six unarmed state forces to the Hyper Sensitive polling stations and 10 armed including five Central Paramilitary forces and five state forces in sensitive polling stations and eight state forces in normal polling stations on the eve of the poll at Konthoujam A/C.
The meeting convened today agreed to maintained the same observations for the deployment of the security forces and all concerned ROs and AROs present in the meeting were advised to initiate the election procedures, the source added.
It may be mentioned that, following the vacancy of seat to the Konthoujam Assembly Constituency in the aftermath of the sudden demise of Dr. Sapam Budhichandra former Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly during last part of September last year, Election Commission of India has fixed the date of poll for the said bye election to the constituency on February 14 next month recently.
It further maintained that central paramilitary and civil police will be deployed at both Sensitive and hyper sensitive polling stations of the constituency during the bye-election. Heavy deployment of security forces from both state and central Para military forces will be seen on the eve of the poll on February 14 in all 28 poling stations and Electronic Voting Machines EVMs will also be utilized in all polling stations.
It may also be mentioned that, three candidates including Dr. Sapam Ranjan son of former speaker, late Dr. S Budhichandra Singh a congress – candidate, Konthoujam Sharat Singh a candidate of Trinamool Congress and Khangembam Ranjit an Indipendent candidate will fight it out in the said bye-election to the Konthoujam A/C which many is watching as a possible rehearsal for the 2012 slated general election
The constituency has a total of 24890 voters including 12,163 male and 12,727 female voters.
