Polling begins for 38 Assembly seats in Manipur
Thirty-eight of the states 60 seats vote amid tight security in the troubled northeastern state of Manipur, where the BJP-led alliance is hoping for a second term in power in a multi-cornered contest.
The first phase of polls covers 29 seats in Manipur’s valley districts — Imphal West, Imphal East, and Bishnupur. The rest are in the hill districts of Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, and Pherzawl.
Besides the BJP and the Congress, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party is also in the fray this time, contesting 38 seats.
The Congress had emerged as the single largest party in Manipur in 2017, winning 28 of the 60 seats. But the BJP, despite winning 21 seats, had formed government in the state, with the help of the National People’s Party and Naga People’s Front.
The state has seen a high-voltage campaign, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah holding multiple political rallies. The Kuki National Organisation, an armed underground group, has “appealed” to the people of the Hill areas to vote for the BJP, creating unease among the opposition parties.