Restive Manipur records 67.46% turnout till 5 pm

Manipur recorded a voter turnout of 67.46 per cent till 5 pm amid incidents of shooting and intimidation, officials said.

The Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, which comprises 32 of the 60 assembly segments in the state, recorded 71.01 per cent turnout, while 15 of the 28 assembly segments of Outer Manipur that went to polls during the day registered a turnout of 61.12 per cent.

Wangkhem in Thoubal district recorded the highest turnout among the 32 assembly constituencies under Inner Manipur at 82.41 per cent.

In Outer Manipur, Chandel, which has both Naga and Kuki voters, recorded the highest turnout at 85.54 per cent.

Incidents of shooting and intimidation were reported from several places in Inner Manipur seat, officials said.

A 65-year-old man was shot at by unidentified armed men at Moirangkampu Sajeb in Khurai constituency in Imphal East district, police said.

The man was standing near a polling station when the armed assailants opened fire, they said, adding he has been taken to a hospital in Imphal for treatment.

Armed men also fired several rounds in the air near a polling booth in Thamnapokpi under Moirang assembly constituency in Bishnupur district, prompting voters to flee, police said, adding additional security personnel were rushed to the spot to contain the situation.

Unidentified armed men also intimidated election agents of a particular political party at different places and asked them to leave the polling stations, they said.

At Uripok and Iroishemba in Imphal West district, armed men asked agents of a party to leave the premises of polling stations, an official said.

"Incensed with the intimidation, voters at Iroishemba forcefully entered polling stations and destroyed elections materials and equipment," the official said.

At Kiyamgei in Imphal East district's Keirao constituency, armed men fired blank shots and intimidated Congress polling agents.

Earlier in the morning, at Khongman Zone 4 in Imphal East district, an altercation broke out between voters and unidentified men leading to damage of EVMs.