Manipur: 94 special polling booths to be set up for internally displaced persons

Imphal: A total of 94 special polling booths will be set up under the scheme for internally displaced persons (IDP) of Manipur to vote at the relief camps in the upcoming 18th Lok Sabha election 2024, officials said on Thursday.
It may be mentioned that more than 50,000 people were displaced in view of the ethnic conflict that has engulfed Manipur since May 3 last year. As a result, the IDPs were presently taking shelter at different relief camps set up in different parts of the state.
The maximum number of special polling stations will be arranged in the Kangpokpi district – 24, followed by Bishnupur – 22, and Churachandpur – 15, said officials. Imphal East district will have nine special polling stations, Imphal West district will have eight, Kakching- five, Tengnoupal- four, Ukhrul- four, Thoubal- two and Jiribam- one.
“The IDPs are requested to submit ID to the designated election officials,” joint chief electoral officer N Ramananda said.
He said that three expenditure observers, three general observers and three police observers will oversee the election process in the state. The expenditure observers have arrived and started election activities, Ramananda added.
Out of nine special polling booths in Imphal East district, five will be for the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and the remaining four for the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency in Imphal East district, according to a notification issued by the district election officer, Imphal East, on Thursday.
Similarly, out of 22 special polling booths in Bishnupur district, 11 each are located under Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituencies in Bishnupur district, the notification said.
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Meanwhile, no nomination papers were filed as of Thursday even after the issuance of the notice of election for the 18th Lok Sabha 2024 in respect of the Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituencies to be held on April 19 and 26, respectively.
Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress in Manipur are yet to announce their candidates from Manipur for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Naga People’s Front (NPF), a ruling ally in the state, in its working committee meeting held at Kohima on Wednesday issued a ticket to Kachui Timothy Zimik, a retired Indian Revenue Service officer for the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency.
Presently, Lorho S Pfoze of NPF is the sitting Lok Sabha MP from the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency while Union minister of state for external affairs Dr RK Ranjan Singh is the sitting Lok Sabha MP from the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency.
Earlier, the Communist Party of India had named Laishram Sotinkumar as the party’s candidate for the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency.
The 18th Lok Sabha election 2024 will be held in two phases in Manipur on April 19 and April 26, respectively. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.