Jiribam: Security has been strengthened along the Manipur-Assam border for free and fair elections in all 41 polling stations in the Jiribam assembly segment of the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency reserved for scheduled tribes which will go to the polls along with 12 assembly segments on April 26.
For free and fair elections, a total of five companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) along with the state forces have been deployed at the sensitive locations and a total of 200 personnel including reserve personnel from various departments are being engaged as polling staff on poll day, officials said.
There are 15 critical and 13 vulnerable polling stations in the Jiribam segment.
Voting will be held on April 26 from 7 a.m. onwards till 4 p.m. in the 41 polling stations.
Altogether, there are 30,809 voters, including 15, 660 male, 15,148 female, and one transgender.
Amid tight security and following mandatory procedures, polling parties dispersed Thursday from the District Commissioner, Complex, Chingdong Leikai, Jiribam.
Before the dispersal of Polling Parties to their respective polling stations, heavily guarded strong rooms located at the DC, Office were opened from 8.45 a.m. onwards for the dispersal of EVMs and VVPATs in the presence of DEO, SP, ARO, Nodal Officers, and representatives of contesting candidates/political parties.
Notably, there are 41 polling stations out of which five are model polling stations and eight woman polling stations including one Special polling station under the “scheme for IDPs of Manipur to vote in relief camps” located in Bidyanagar Multipurpose Sports Complex in 40-Jiribam Assembly Segment of Outer Manipur (ST) Parliamentary Constituency.
Interestingly, polling stations number 40/16 and 40/17 located at Babukhal and Boroikhal are only accessible by waterways.
While flagging off the polling parties to their respective polling stations, DEO Jiribam Krishna Kumar, IAS instructed the polling parties to be vigilant and coordinate with each other and he also wished the parties to make the election peaceful and successful.
Four candidates — INC, NPF, and two independents are in the contests for the Outer Manipur LS seat.