EC orders repoll in 11 stations in Manipur after Chief Electoral Officer says ‘EVMs, VVPATs destroyed, booths captured’

A statement in this regard was issued by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manipur, Pradeep Kumar Jha, citing an order of the EC under section 58(2) and 58A(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. “The Election Commission of India has, under Sections 58(2) and 58A(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, directed that the poll taken on 19th April, 2024 (Friday) in respect of 11 polling stations listed in the table below of 1-Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency to be void and appointed 22nd April, 2024 (Monday) as the date for taking fresh poll at the said polling stations with hours of poll from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM”, it said.

Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur, Ramananda Nongmeikapam, had sought re-polling in at least six booths in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency on Saturday. In his letter to Election Commission of India (ECI) secretary Madhusudan Gupta, Ramananda Nongmeikapam cited eruption of mob violence and instances of booth capturing, destruction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) as the reason for seeking re-polling.

While five polling stations are in Imphal West district, one of them is in Imphal East. At the polling station in Imphal East, a mob set fire to EVMs, VVPATs and other poll-related documents after miscreants shot at an elderly man, injuring him, Nongmeikapam said, adding that incidents of booth capturing and mob violence were seen in the polling stations in Imphal West district.

At one of the polling stations, a group of unidentified persons forced 61 people to vote for the candidate they wanted, he said.

Polling in the two parliamentary seats in Manipur was held on Friday under the first phase. The state recorded a 72.17 per cent voter turnout.