Manipur Lok Sabha election: A video that has gone viral shows people running out of a polling booth amid the sound of gunfire.
In Short
- Miscreants fire several rounds near polling station in Manipur’s Thamanpokpi
- Stray incidents of unrest reported in few places
- Tight security in Manipur, which has been rocked by ethnic strife
A group of miscreants fired several rounds near a polling station in Thamanpokpi in the Moirang Assembly segment in Manipur on Friday. However, no casualties were reported.
The firing led to panic among the voters who had lined up to exercise their franchise as the first phase of Lok Sabha polls kicked off on Friday. A video that has gone viral shows people running out of the polling booth amid the sound of gunfire.
The Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat and parts of Outer Manipur went to polls on Friday amid stringent security arrangements. Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence over the last one year between the majority Meiteis, who live in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo tribal community.
Stray incidents of unrest were also reported in a few places, a police officer told PTI.
A scuffle broke out between locals and unidentified miscreants in Thongju Assembly constituency under the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat.
Violence was also reported at Iroisemba polling station in Imphal West, where EVMs were allegedly destroyed, PTI reported. Polling was stopped at 5 Thongju, 31 Khongman zone in Imphal after some women alleged irregularities and created a ruckus.
Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh cast his vote at Luwangsangbam Mamang Leikai and urged the people to exercise their franchise to save the indigenous people of the state and protect its territorial integrity.
“I want to appeal to the people of Manipur to cast their votes and save the indigenous population of the state as well as to protect the integrity of the state and bring peace at the earliest,” Biren Singh said.
The BJP has not fielded any candidate and has declared support for its ally NPF. “We have to make Modi (ji) Prime Minister for the third term and I had the opportunity for that. I want to appeal to my brothers and sisters of the state to cast their vote for BJP and strengthen Modi,” he said.
