IMPHAL, May 12: The State Election Commission has today issued notifications for the upcoming Imphal Municipal Corporation election to be conducted on June 2, 2016 for all 27 wards. After notification was issued the election code of conduct has immediately been put into effect in the areas covered by IMC.
The notification was issued by Secretary of state election commission Radharani Mutum and stated that the elections will be held to elect one councillor and two ward development committee members of each ward. Nine of the 27 wards have been reserved for woman candidates.
With the issuance of the notification, filing of nomination papers for candidature have been allowed with immediate effect and the last date for filing of nomination papers is May 17, 2016. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be conducted on May 18 and the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers is May 20, 2016. Polling will start from 8 am and end at 4 pm on June 2 and if necessary, re-poll will be conducted on June 4, 2016. Counting of votes will take place on June 6, 2016.
It may be mentioned that the upcoming IMC will be the first after the Imphal Municipal Council was upgraded to Imphal Municipal Corporation. Before, elections to IMC were held in 1995, 2001, 2006 and 2011 following enactment of the Manipur Municipality Act, 1994.
With the issuance of the notification, political parties have geared up for the election campaign to woo voters for the election. The ruling Congress and its main opponent BJP are likely to be the main contenders of the polls like in the previous January polls to the urban body elections.
The Congress has already released its names of 25 candidates while BJP officials said the party is making preparations for declaration of its candidates by tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the IMC election could face major disturbances from Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) which had been threatening to disrupt the elections demanding the removal of non-locals included in the voters lists of wards under seven Assembly constituencies.
The committee had already pointed out that polling stations dominated by non-locals in Imphal areas included those in Ward No-25 of under Thangmeiband A/C, polling station (PS)-1, out of 601 total voter 151 are non locals; PS-2, 755 voter 247 are non locals; PS-3 out of 735 voters 714 are non local, PS-4 out of 231voters 208 are non-locals; PS-5 out of 492 voter 434 are non local; PS-6 out of 273 voters 266 are non local PS-7 out of 351 voters 325 are non local and PS-8 out of 505voters 505 are non local.
In Sagolband AC Ward No-24, PS-1 out of 254 voters 2 are non local; PS-2 out of 501 voters 39 are non local; PS-3 out of 414 voters 139 are non locals; PS-4 out of 621voters 556 are non locals, PS-5 out of 443 voters 366 are non locals; PS-6 out of 734 voters 533 are non local; PS-7 out of 716 non local is 174 and in PS-8 out of 374 voter 78 are non-local.
In Wangkhei Ward No 26, PS-1 out of 719 voters 547 are non locals; PS-2 out of 841voters 689 are non locals; PS-3 out of 572 voters 521 are non locals and PS-4 out of 720 voters 653 are non locals while in Wangkhei AC Ward No-23, PS-6 out of 595 voters 595 are non locals and PS-7 out of 588 voters 575 are non locals respectively.
Demanding removal of the names of the non-locals from the electoral list and banning non-locals from contesting the elections, activists of the JCILPS had even stormed the offices of the deputy commissioners of Imphal West and East districts in last few days.