LS Polls: Special polling stations for internally displaced persons in Manipur

Imphal, March 17: The Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the conflict affected Manipur would be treated as electors of the original place, and special polling stations will be arranged under a new scheme for them in the upcoming 18th Lok Sabha election in 2024, officials said.

A scheme has been prepared for the IDPs of the state to vote at the relief camps. As per the scheme, the IDPs will be considered ordinary residents of the place where they have been displaced from and hence would be treated as electors of the original place, say officials of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)'s office in Manipur.

Designated Assistant Returning Officers will be appointed for each district for this purpose. A special polling station will be set up for a cluster of polling stations.

However, the total number of special polling stations to be set up for IDPs are yet to be finalised.

While the country is going to polls in seven phases beginning April 19, Manipur will be witnessing the 18th Lok Sabha election 2024 in two phases to elect its two Lok Sabha MPs from Inner-Manipur and Outer-Manipur parliamentary constituencies in the conflict affected state on April 19 and April 26, respectively.

The counting will be held on June 4. The election notification will be issued on March 20, while the last date for making nominations will be March 27. The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on March 28, while the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers is scheduled for March 30, 2024.

The voting will take place through EVMs only and the counting of votes will also take place at the District Head Quarter where the relief camps are located, and the results will be transmitted to the concerned Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), according to officials.

The IDPs are required to submit an ID form to the designated AROs at least 10 days before the date of the poll.

It may be mentioned that more than 50,000 people were displaced in view of the ethnic conflict that has engulfed Manipur since May 3 last year. As a result, the IDPs were presently taking shelter at different relief camps set up in different parts of the state.