IMPHAL, May 31: Together with the closure of the electioneering period at 4 pm today, due preparations have been completed for the election to Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) scheduled on June 2. State Election Commission Secretary Radharani Mutum said that polling will begin at 8 am and continue till 4 pm. She said that adequate security arrangements have been made for the election.
The Election Commission has appointed two poll observers in order to ensure that the election is held in a free and fair manner. IMC has a total of 27 seats for Councillors. In Imphal West, INC and BJP are fielding Councillor candidates in 20 wards each, CPI three, LJP one and JD-U one. 18 independent candidates are also contesting for the post of Councillors in the district.
In Imphal East, both INC and BJP are fielding six candidates each for the post of Councillors, CPI two, LJP one and seven independent candidates are also in the fray. The total number of candidates for the post of Councillors in Imphal West and Imphal East districts are 64 and 22 respectively. Moreover, 91 candidates are contesting for the post of Ward Development Committee members in Imphal West and 35 in Imphal East. Altogether 1,75,864 (male-84,045, female-91819 ) are expected to exercise their right to vote at 255 polling stations (Imphal West-189, Imphal East-66).
Voting would be done using ballot papers. Ballot papers as well as ballot boxes for Councillors would be pink in colour while white ballot papers and while ballot boxes would be used for Ward Development Committee Members, informed the State Election Commission Secretary. So far, one Ward Development Committee Member of Ward no 15 (Imphal West) and another Member in Ward no 18 (Imphal East) have been elected unopposed. Informing that 1275 polling personnel would be used for the election, Radharani appealed to all the voters to exercise their right to vote conscientiously.
