IMPHAL, April 17: Voters who had queued up to exercise their franchise at the 15/14 Kabo Leikai Nongpok (D) Minuthong Khunou Lower Primary School were in for a rude shock today.
Voters from Namdulong and Gaipuinam villages under Wangkhei Constituency who had lined up at the polling station this morning discovered that there were no polling personnel or security personnel present at the polling station.
Wangkhei Assembly Constituency is presently held by the ruling Congress.
The polling station has been silently shifted to another place, lamented the voters.
The locals staged a sit in protest in front of the polling station decrying the silent shift and decided that they will not exercise their franchise until the polling station is shifted back to the school.
It was also decided that anyone going against the decision will be levied customary fines, informed an elder.
Tajon Kamei, an elder of the area said polling personnel had arrived yesterday evening as in all other stations, however, locals found them missing since around 6.30 pm yesterday.
Nevertheless, the locals thought that they might be taking their evening stroll, he continued.
Local MLA Irabot of the Congress was also present at a meeting called by the locals today.
He had appealed to the people to exercise their rights, but the voters denied obliging his appeal until the polling station is brought back.
Irabot said though there have been two meetings discussing the upgradation of the lower primary school to primary school, there has been no intimation to him regarding the upgradation or segregation of the school.
He further condemn the shifting of the station as an act violating the voting rights of 914 voters, and added that he will take up necessary actions after the poll.
Another local, Gaibichung Pamei said the school has been acting as the polling station since the 1980s.
“The sudden shifting of the polling station without any valid reason and prior information to the locals is not only surprising but also unfortunate.”
In the meantime, officials of the CEO office led by Joint Chief Electoral Officer M Praveen visited the area personally and worked out a solution to bring back the polling station to the previous village. Polling started late due to the incident at around 10:30 am poll, with the CEO, Manipur requesting the ECI to extend polling time by some time.
Voters who were issued voter’s slip cards were allowed to stay inside the polling station campus till the end of poll.
Meanwhile, the villagers of Namdulong and Gaipuinam in a press release appreciated the Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur and N Praveen Singh, Joint election Officer, Manipur in initiating to solve the problem to shift back the polling station in the village and to acknowledge the same to the Chief of the Village with immediate effect.