In Manipur, two-phase polling for two LS seats; special booths for displaced voters

Voting in Manipur, which has been rocked by conflict for nearly a year now, will take place over two phases with preparations currently underway to enable people displaced within the state to vote at or close to their relief camps.

According to sources, informal preliminary assessments place the number of displaced voters within the state at 23,000-25,000. The total number of voters in Manipur is 20.26 lakh.

In the wake of the ethnic clashes that broke out in the state on May 3 last year, hard lines have been drawn between areas where the Kuki-Zomi and Meitei communities, respectively, are in majority. While Meiteis who lived in Kuki-dominated areas have moved to Meitei-dominated areas in the state’s valley districts, the reverse movement has been the case for Kuki-Zomis in Meitei-majority areas.

The Election Commission (EC) has tried to account for this mass displacement through a scheme to enable internally displaced people to vote in relief camps, for which special polling stations will be set up outside the territorial limits of their constituencies. The EC is looking at displaced voters in relief camps in 10 districts – Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Jiribam and Ukhrul.

For the scheme, assistant returning officers have been appointed to each district exclusively for the displaced voters.

Pradeep Kumar Jha, Manipur’s chief electoral officer, told The Indian Express: “In the 10 districts where there are relief camps, the exercise of notification of polling stations is currently going on. Once we notify the polling stations, ID forms will be distributed to the displaced through which they can specify whether they want to vote at their original polling station or