Manipur, having partially recovered from one of its worst ethnic violence is all set to engage in the upcoming democratic exercise. Polling in the state will be held with reinforced security cover as the region has witnessed one of the worst ethnic conflicts in recent years.
The polling in Manipur will be held in 2 phases, the first phase of polling will be held on April 19 and the second phase will be on April 26. Manipur has two Lok Sabha constituencies; Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency, with 937,464 electors and Outer Manipur, reserved for scheduled tribes and with 1,022,099 electors.
The Inner Manipur seat
The Inner Manipur seat is scheduled to go to the polls on April 19, while voters in Outer Manipur will cast their votes on April 19 and 26. This is due to the security situation in the state, which has experienced violence since May 23 last year.
Angomcha Bimol Akoijam and Alfred K Arthur: Congress candidates
Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has been nominated as the Congress candidate for the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha Constituency while former MLA Alfred K Arthur would contest in the Outer Manipur seat, reserved for the tribals.
The Inner Manipur Lok Sabha segment has 32 assembly constituencies across the conflict-scarred Imphal valley. The BJP has not fielded any candidate from the Outer Manipur segment, but will support the candidates fielded by the Naga People's Front (NSF), its ally in NDA.
Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency
In the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency, a reserved ST constituency, there is an uneasy peace. The main contest is between the Naga People’s Front (NPF), which is a BJP ally, and the Congress, which has the backing of the Kuki community.
Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, after a tribal solidarity march was organised in the state's hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Over 200 people have been killed in the violence-hit state since then, and thousands displaced.
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