BJP, Congress accuse each other of disturbing polling in Manipur

Both the BJP and the Congress on Friday accused each other of unleashing violence and breaching the election Model Code of Conduct in Manipur during the polls. BJP’s state unit general secretary K Sarat Kumar told reporters that Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, the Congress candidate of Manipur Inner LS seat, accompanied by large number of his supporters, visited several polling stations and provoked officials and voters leading to multiple commotions.
“Akoijam, accompanied by his supporters, visited several polling booths and disturbed the election atmosphere. We have filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer and Returning Officer,” he said.

On the other hand, the Congress has blamed the BJP for violence during voting in Inner Manipur.

Kh Devbrata, working president of the state unit of the Congress told reporters, “We strongly condemn the acts of armed unidentified men entering polling stations and intimidating voters and indulging in proxy voting.”

“We haven’t seen the government try to conduct the polling peacefully in a free and fair manner,” Singh said. Girish Chodankar, the election in-charge of Manipur and Nagaland for AICC, wrote on X that violence and booth capturing by armed miscreants have been witnessed in several places despite a written submission to Chief Electoral Officer of “possible tension.” “They allowed frustrated BJP supporters to forcibly capture booths and prevent common people from exercising their voting rights, making a mockery of the elections. We have demanded repolling in such booths,” he added. Earlier during the day, incidents of intimidation and firing were reported from at least two places in Inner Manipur constituency where voting for the Lok Sabha polls was underway, officials said.

At Thamnapokpi under Moirang constituency in Bishnupur district, armed men fired several rounds in the air near a polling booth prompting voters to flee, police said, adding additional security personnel were rushed to the spot to contain the situation.

Unidentified armed men also intimidated election agents of a particular political party at different places and asked them to leave the polling stations, they said.

At Uripok and Iroishemba in Imphal West district, armed men asked agents of a party to leave the premises of polling stations, an official said.

At Kiyamgei in Imphal East district’s Keirao constituency, armed men fired blank shots and intimidated Congress polling agents.