IMPHAL, June 4: Re-poll was held peacefully at 14/8 polling station at Yaiskul Sougaijam Leirak Welfare Club today under the supervision of a section magistrate of Imphal West district. According to information, the polling percentage was recorded at 85.42% with 498 out of 583 voters exercising their franchise.
Voting began from 8 am in the morning with three layers of security cover at the polling station which falls under IMC ward no 14. Imphal West DC Ningthoujam Geoffrey came to the polling station to observe the voting directly. Three candidates representing the BJP, Congress party and LJP are engaged in a three-cornered fight from this ward.
Police conducted intense checking of voters entering the periphery of the station, and prohibited them from carrying water and other liquid inside the polling booth. The security force also imposed restriction on loitering in the surrounding area of a radius of 100 feet. The large scale presence of security personnel at the polling station, led by a SDPO and consisting of several SIs and ASIs and a team of women police personnel, was unprecedented during the IMC election so far.
Meanwhile, Congress MLAs N Biren, RK Imo and N Loken made surprise appearances to oversee the proceedings and ostensibly to boost the morale of party candidate and supporters. Interestingly, the BJP candidate from this Ward served as one of the inner agents today.
Re-poll was ordered in the polling station after the BJP candidate lodged a complaint alleging that activists of the Congress party were indulged in proxy voting there. Voting was halted for over an hour after the inner agents of the BJP and LJP walked out of the booth without informing polling officials in protest against the involvement of Congress agents in rampant proxy voting on June 2. The state BJP had charged that no members from a family of nine were able to vote as their votes had already been casted through impersonation.
On the other hand, the returning officer and state election commission could not provide the voters’ turnout for today’s re-poll although it was done at a solitary station. The possible reason could be the reported late arrival of postal ballots, which deadline for receiving have been extended till tomorrow.
Spokesperson of Congress party, N Biren said his party believed that it will from the corporation again, this time will support from independent councillors.