By Chitra Ahanthem
IMPHAL, Jan 16: Elections in Manipur which have been synonymous with much noise and fanfare have undergone a major change with strict election guidelines being enforced through the directives of the Election Commission of India (ECI). “There is a lot of appreciation for the lack of noise pollution this time. Our supervision has ensured that poll related expenses remain low,” said P.C. Lawmkunga, Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur to IFP today. The CEO further mentioned that surveillance and monitoring teams to keep track of political parties and their candidates are being dispatched to every district in the state.
“These teams are made of officials from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) who along with a team of external observers, are keeping an eye on poll related expenditures,” said Lawmkunga. He further added that surveillance was also being done at Imphal airport to keep track of cash surplus being brought it.
The strict monitoring on the lead up to the state assembly elections may well have led to the disappearance of huge roadside hoardings in prime locations around Imphal. Earlier, the hoardings at Nityaipaat Chuthek and those along BT road had huge pull outs of the Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh along with Sri O. Ibobi and Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President, Shri Gaikhangnam. A lone hoarding of the Manipur People’s Party (MPP) featuring party President Nimaichand Luwung and the late, Shri Alimuddin put up on BT road has also been taken down.
Political parties have cut down visibly on the scale of political meetings and rallies in the state. While flag hoisting, nomination filing or even press meets were marked earlier by large presence of vehicle cavalcades, long lines of flag waving supporters, the current election scenario has come to resemble a very muted presence with political parties being wary of being caught on the wrong foot.