Manipur Violence | EC Orders Repoll in 11 Stations but so Does Arambai Tenggol

The Election Commission of India ordered a repoll at 11 polling stations in the Inner Manipur constituency on Monday, 22 April, after polling day (19 April, the first phase of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections) witnessed booth capturing, gun violence, vandalism, and intimidation of polling agents.

The full report can be found here.

Eyewitnesses blamed the controversial Meitei nationalist group Arambai Tenggol for the voting day violence. The Arambai Tenggol too, however, has asked for a repoll in a majority of the polling booths from the ECI list provided below.

Note how these correspond to the ECI directive of conducting repolls at four polling stations in Bamon Kampu, three polling stations in Iroishemba, and Khongman Zone V.

Of the polling stations mentioned in the list, The Quint was present at Moirangkampu Sajeb and Khongman Zone V (National Children's School) on polling day to talk to voters.

At Khongman Zone V, two men were seen asking an Election Commission observer to “conduct the vote again.” The men refused to talk any further on the record.

Voting at Khongman Zone V, however, went on till late in the evening after the people demanded a revote. Sources told The Quint that the constituency’s MLA Thongam Biswajit Singh supervised the evening vote. The video is attached below.

Next to Khongman Zone V, at Khongman Zone IV, an old woman told The Quint that she was in the voting queue, and when she went to cast her vote, she saw that her whole family’s vote had already been cast.

She said, “I saw people who looked like Arambai Tenggol. I am not sure. They have denied me my right to vote. How can they do that? Let any candidate win but how can they take away my right to vote?!”

At the polling station in Moirangkampu Mayai Leikai, Imphal East, one person, identified as Khoisnam Sanayaima (65), sustained injuries in a shooting incident. He is being treated at Raj Medicity Hospital. Fingers were again pointed at the Arambai Tenggol.

At this polling station, angry voters burnt the EVMs at the station to protest the shooting and the booth capturing. The Quint even saw two bullet case shellings on the site of the shooting.

All the details and visuals can be found in this report.

The Arambai Tenggol has denied any involvement in the polling day violence.

Manipur Congress president K Meghachandra had earlier stated the party had complained to the Chief Electoral Officer demanding a repoll in 36 polling stations in the Inner Manipur constituency and 11 in the Outer Manipur constituency, i.e., a total of 47.

[For almost a year now, Manipur has been torn apart by ethnic violence. Hundreds have died, and thousands have been displaced, with their future still uncertain. As Manipur votes for the two Lok Sabha seats starting 19 April, and with the one-year mark of the violence approaching right after on 3 May 2024, The Quint is going back to ground zero in pursuit of facts, untold stories, and the truth. As we hit the ground again, we would like to hear from you on what you think we should cover and investigate in our reports from Manipur. Send us your suggestions — and we will do our best to incorporate them. Apart from the risks involved in reporting from a conflict-ridden area, such reports require both time and resources. YOUR support helps us in our endeavour.]

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