Violence, threats to voters, damaged EVMs mark polling in strife-torn Manipur.

Voting took place in the Inner Manipur parliamentary seat and a portion of the Outer Manipur seat in the first phase. Incidents of shooting, damage to electronic voting machines (EVMs), threats to voters and polling agents by armed miscreants and alleged rigging marked the first phase of polling in strife-torn Manipur on Friday. Voting took place in the Inner Manipur parliamentary seat and a portion of the Outer Manipur seat in the first phase. Voting for the remaining areas of Outer Manipur seat will be held in the second phase on April 26. Despite heavy deployment of state forces and 162 companies of central armed police forces, several videos and photos circulating on social media showed armed miscreants roaming freely and gunshots being fired near at least one polling station. One voter sustained bullet wounds in one such incident at a polling station under Khurai assembly seat. “There were few reports of violence including one shooting by members of two groups in Bishnupur. We have received information about damage to EVMs at a few polling stations. We are in the process of compiling all data,” said Pradeep Kumar Jha, chief electoral officer, Manipur. According to poll officials, nearly 70% of voting was reported till 5 pm. The figures are expected to rise after the final tabulation is done. Many polling stations in Kangpokpi district, however, wore deserted looks due to a call to boycott voting by the Committee on Tribal Unity, a Kuki organisation. Gunfire broke out near a polling station at Thamanpokpi in Bishnupur. There were reports that three persons were injured in the shooting. But police and election officials didn’t confirm that. Manipur has been rocked by ethnic clashes between Meiteis, who are dominant in the Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kuki-Zo communities, who are a majority in few hill districts, since May last year. The violence has claimed 221 lives and displaced around 50,000.