GUWAHATI: The Election Commission has notified a scheme for internally-displaced persons of Manipur to vote at the relief camps. The ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis displaced around 60,000 people, with a large majority of them being lodged in relief camps in various districts. Also, there are many who are taking shelter in neighbouring states.
The displaced electors are still enrolled at the places where they were ordinary residents before the conflict started. After consultations with the Central and state governments, the EC directed that they would continue to be borne on the electoral rolls of the Assembly and parliamentary constituencies concerned in Manipur.
The EC said the internally-displaced electors would be provided with the facility to vote at “special polling stations” to be set up in relief camps.
The election in the “special polling stations” will be conducted by using separate EVMs and all rules and directions and instructions applicable to the conduct of poll at the original polling stations will apply at these special polling stations.
The EC said contesting candidates would be informed, in writing, of the location of “special polling stations” with request to depute their agents, if they wish to witness the poll process. The polling will be conducted under webcasting.