IMPHAL, Feb 27: In another development following persuasion by the representatives of 10 non-Congress parties presently camped at New Delhi, the Election Commission of India may come out with the directive of conducting re-polls in the state.
From credible sources, it was reported that representatives of the said non Congress party representatives met ECI authorities at around 2 pm today and appraised them with the situation in the state elections. It was stated that by the state representatives that along with the photographic evidence irregularities so seen and the comparisons done afterwards of the complaining polling stations, various tell tale mismatches were found and it was reported to the ECI. Further,the ECI authorities had intimated the representatives of the non Congress party members to eke out a feasible compromise and had ascertained that chalking out of the proxy voters following the photographic comparisons to be declared null and void was not feasible technically.
According to sources from the state CEO office, it was learnt that there may be possible repoll of the stations in complaint.The decision of the ECI will be known by tomorrow at the latest and due notification in the regard is exepected, the source added. It may be mentioned that, according to the complaints received by the ECI in the regard, several polling stations are most likely to witness repolls again.
Meanwhile, leaders and members of the ten non-congress political parties in Manipur took turns in highlighting the malpractices during the recently held elections in a joint sit-in-protest today at Lairemba Community Hall, Keishampat.
They reiterated again their demand for invalidating all proxy/bogus votes as well as postal ballots that had been misused against norms. The ECI also came under attack with several speakers accusing it of failing to provide a free and fair election. The indecision of the ECI on the issue of various malpractices was sharply criticized. Some of candidates during the elections also accused the congress party of misusing state machinery to further their electoral prospects.
Talking to mediapersons in regard to the issue, T Chaoba of the Manipur People’s Party contesting in Nambol constituency said that even though the results of the elections may be declared , the political parties on complaint of the irregularities will still pursue the matter.
“It is known that every single vote counts and the last election had witnessed that one had won the vote by two single votes. It doesn’t matter if there is a case of a hundred proxy voting being complained or one vote in the regard, but every single vote counts, so we are waiting for the ECI to take up the corrective measures’, he said.
The protest was part of the resolutions adopted during their deliberations at Hotel Imphal on Feb 25.
It may be mentioned that top leaders of the ten non-congress political parties are currently in Delhi as part of its protest to highlight the various electoral malpractices and impress upon the ECI to clarify its position on the issue.