Two killed in bomb blast on eve of 1st phase of polling in Manipur

Fate of 173 candidates to be decided today in Manipur

IMPHAL: At least two people, including a child, were killed and five others injured when a bomb exploded at a house in Gangpimual village in Churachandpur district on Saturday night, 48 hours before the first phase of Assembly elections commences in Manipur, the police said.

A district police officer said that seven persons, including children, sustained serious injuries due to the bomb blast and were taken to the district hospital, where Mangminlal (6) and Langinsang (22) succumbed to their injuries.

Senior police officers along with reinforcement team have rushed to the area and a search is on to nab the unknown perpetrators.

Meanwhile, incidents of violence continued in poll-bound Manipur with a Janata Dal (United) candidate getting shot at late on Saturday night by unknown armed persons, police said on Sunday.

Police said that Wahengbam Rojit Singh, the JD (U) candidate contesting from the Kshetrigao Assembly constituency, was shot at by two bike-borne armed miscreants when he along with his partymen was returning home after poll-related activities.

Singh, with bullet wounds, was immediately shifted to a private hospital. The security forces have launched a search operation in the Imphal East district to nab the unknown perpetrators.

The Kshetrigao Assembly seat is among the 38 constituencies where polling is scheduled to be held on Monday in the first phase of polling.

Both the incidents occurred with less than 48 hours left for polling in five districts.

In the run-up to the polls, the National People's Party (NPP), an estranged ally of the BJP-led Government in Manipur, had earlier complained to the Election Commission (EC) that its candidates were being threatened by the cadres of several militant outfits.

Earlier on February 19, NPP's Andro constituency candidate L Sanjoy Singh's father L Shamjai Singh was shot in the right shoulder by unidentified gunmen while he was at a campaign programme at Yairipok Yambem Leikai.

The Opposition Congress and other political parties have been repeatedly demanding that the EC should further tighten security in view of the threat of violence by the unknown miscreants or suspected militants.

Amid the incidents of violence, the stage is all set for the first phase of Assembly elections in BJP-ruled Manipur on Monday for 38 of the 60 Assembly constituencies, where the electoral fate of 173 candidates, including 15 women,will be decided.

Election officials said that a large contingent of Central Armed Police Forces personnel were deployed in all the 38 poll-bound Assembly constituencies, while the 9,895 polling personnel have already reached their designated 1,721 polling stations.

To hold a Covid-safe election, mandatory sanitization of the polling stations was done in different parts of the State and other measures, including the use of masks and sanitizer by everyone, was strictly followed.

In the first phase, 12,22,713 voters including 6,29,276 women electorates would decide the fate of 173 candidates.

Development, militancy, illegal trade of drugs, repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), women empowerment, rising unemployment and corruption were the main issues highlighted by the political parties in their campaign.

The second phase of polling will be held in 22 seats on March 5. Votes will be counted on March 10. (IANS)

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