GUWAHATI: Manipur continued to be hit by election-related violence.
The supporters of the ruling BJP and opposition Congress clashed in the Sugnu assembly constituency on Wednesday night. Over a dozen vehicles besides furniture were damaged.
The violence broke out at Kakching Khunou when a large number of alleged BJP supporters had attacked a camp of the Congress.
The Congress said the attacks on its supporters were an indication the party was returning to power.
“The violent attack on Congress supporters at Sugnu and many other Assembly constituencies is a clear indication of the rising Congress in Manipur,” state Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei told this newspaper.
“There will be a Congress government and no BJP Chief Minister. People are bringing back Congress government in Manipur on March 10,” a confident Meitei said.
Calls made to BJP’s state president A Sharda Devi went unanswered.
The Election Commission on Thursday ordered re-polling in 12 polling stations under five Assembly constituencies in Churachandpur, Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts. The re-polling will be held on March 5 when 22 constituencies will go to second and last phase polls.
“…On the basis of available reports and after taking all material evidence into account, the Commission hereby declares…that the polling on February 28 at the 12 polling stations to be void,” the EC wrote to Manipur’s chief electoral officer.
Earlier, the ruling BJP as well as the opposition parties had accused each other of using militants to capture polling booths and intimidate voters.
The non-BJP candidates of the Henglep seat in the hill district of Churachandpur had jointly moved the EC alleging that the militants captured polling booths and prevented voters from exercising their franchise at the behest of ruling BJP during first phase elections.
In a complaint lodged with the District Election Officer, Congress, National People’s Party, Janata Dal (United), and Shiv Sena candidates named Kuki National Front (MC), Kuki National Front (Zougam), Kuki National Front (Samuel), and Kuki National Army which signed separate suspension of operation (Soo) agreements with the government earlier.
Similarly, the BJP petitioned the EC demanding re-poll in 23 polling stations falling under two constituencies after alleging that insurgent groups National Socialist Council of Nagalim or NSCN-IM and some other rebel groups, which signed separate Soo agreements with the government, captured polling booths, destroyed EVM and intimidated voters during first phase elections.