Two persons were killed, several injured and EVMs snatched away at a few polling stations as sporadic violence was witnessed during the last phase of Assembly elections in Manipur on Saturday.
We saw this during Corona and today we are experiencing the same during the Ukraine crisis. Blind opposition, constant opposition, utter disappointment, negativity have become their political ideology, says PM Modi
This is my last meeting in this election. Uttar Pradesh may not have seen such an election for decades. An election when the government is seeking the blessings of the people on its work, on its honest image, on development without discrimination and favouritism, and on the strength of improved law and order, says PM Modi.
The people of Uttar Pradesh have completely rejected the hooliganism, mafia, corruption, nepotism, illegal occupation of UP, says PM Modi in Varanasi.
A BJP worker was killed after being shot at by unidentified miscreants early Saturday morning in Wangjing Wangkhei situated in Wangjing Tentha Assembly constituency in Thoubal district.
Addressing a BJP rally in UP's Jaunpur, Union Home Minister Amit ShahBefore the 2017 elections, I had come to seek votes from the great people of UP. The BJP had a promise to the people of UP that in five years they will eliminate mafias from UP.
Unidentified miscreants lobbed a crude bomb at the residence of expelled BJP leader Ch Bijoy in Lamphel area in Manipur’s Imphal West district, police said.
The incident took place on Friday night, hours before the second phase of the assembly elections was to begin, they said.
Nobody was injured in the blast triggered by two masked persons, who came in a two-wheeler, a police officer said.
Bijoy, who was expelled from the saffron party last month for six years on disciplinary grounds, told reporters, "The attack might be a threat… to make me politically silent.”
Further investigation is underway, police said.
Polling for the second and last phase of assembly elections in Manipur began at 7 am on Saturday in 22 constituencies across six districts.
Around 11.40 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 9 a.m on Saturday in the second and final phase of the Manipur Assembly polls conducted in 22 of the 60 constituencies amid tight security, election officials said.
Men, women and first time voters in large numbers queued up in front of the polling stations well before the voting started at 7 a.m. in six electoral districts.
The election officials said that no untoward incident was reported so far from any of the 22 constituencies, where the balloting is going on smoothly. Voting will continue till 4 p.m. without any break.
According to the officials, more than 20,000 Central paramilitary force troopers have been deployed in the second phase in Thoubal, Jiribam, Chandel, Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong districts for the polling.
While the Thoubal district falls in the valley area, the other five electoral districts are in the mountainous areas bordering Assam and Nagaland, as well as Myanmar, making security forces maintain maximum vigil along both the international and the inter-state borders.
JUST IN | A bus carrying voters was attacked by unidentified miscreants at Mao in Senapati district, leavingseveral injured.
UPDATE |12 per cent voter turnout in Manipur till 9 am
A total of 8,38,730 electors including 4,28,679 females and 31 transgender, are eligible to cast their votes across 1,247 polling stations in six electoral districts -- Thoubal, Jiribam, Chandel, Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong.
The second phase of polling on Monday will decide the electoral fate of 92 candidates, including two women contestants.
Alleging that militant outfits are intimidating voters and influencing the ongoing assembly polls inManipur, the Congress on Friday urged the Election Commission to maintain a level-playing field and ensure free and fair polling exercise.
A Congress delegation met the commission ahead of the second phase of polling on Saturday and also raised the issue of the BJP-led state government releasing funds to militant groups under the suspension of operation agreement, despite the model code of conduct being in force.
Manipur Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajesh Agarwal on Friday said that the state government had not violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by releasing stipend to militant groups that have declared Suspension of Operations (SoO).
Since the beneficiaries were already identified and approved before the announcement of election and enforcement of the MCC, there is no violation of MCC in connection with the Manipur assembly elections, a CEO release said.
The Election Commission on Friday barred Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party candidate Abbas Ansari from campaigning for 24 hours in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh assemblypollsover a speech threatening to "settle the account" with government officials.
The 24-hour ban on the Mau candidate began at 7 pm on Friday.