India’s election authorities have instructed officials to rerun voting at several polling stations in the troubled northeastern state of Manipur after armed men attacked and occupied polling stations despite the presence of dozens of paramilitary soldiers.
Manipur has been wracked by ethnic conflicts for months A dispute broke out Who can hold tribal status, which gives them additional privileges such as preferential treatment when seeking government jobs.
this The conflict that began last May has essentially splintered The region has a population of about 3 million and is divided between two rival ethnic groups: the predominantly Hindu Maitai (with a slim majority) and members of the Christian hill tribes known as Kukis. More than 200 members of both groups have died. Thousands of people have been internally displaced and still fearful of returning to the places they once called home, seeking refuge in squalid camps.
The Election Commission of India said on Saturday that voting would be held again on Monday at 11 polling stations where voting was held on Friday.
The order came after the region’s top elections commissioner wrote to his agency describing mob violence, shootings, vandalism of electronic voting machines and fake voters entering polling stations.
video Video shows a mob attacking a polling station and damaging electronic voting machines in the Nemanipur constituency, one of two seats in the state’s lower house of parliament.
At another station, armed gang members were seen threatening voters. a lady said When she arrived to vote, she found that all her family’s votes had been cast. One person was also injured by the gunfire.
Voting on the country’s next prime minister runs until June 1, and tens of thousands of troops have been deployed across the country to prevent violence. Local residents in Manipur state said soldiers tried to maintain order but were overpowered by people, mainly women, who stormed polling stations and were intimidated by the presence of armed men.
Members of opposition political groups said the problem was not limited to the 11 polling stations that will be rerun and called for new polls to be held at more than 45 polling stations in 12 districts of Manipur.
Kesham Megachandra, the top leader of the opposition Indian National Congress party in Manipur, said that members of armed gangs supporting the current government threatened candidates and voters the day before the election and on the day of voting, and even opened fire at polling stations. .
“This is manipulation on a massive scale,” Mr. Megachandra said. “The violence occurred in a place where the majority of voters are dissatisfied with both the local government and the Modi government.”
Manipur is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Nuntombam Biren Singh. An adviser to the state’s chief minister, Manmohan Singh, did not answer calls on Sunday.
The first phase of voting across India took place on Friday in 102 parliamentary seats, but there are still six phases of voting, the results of which will be declared on June 4.
