Imphal, October 17: A total 94.92 percent of the electorate cast their votes at the Hiyanglam bye-poll which concluded peacefully today. Despite reports of some minor skirmishes in a few
Imphal, October 17: A total 94.92 percent of the electorate cast their votes at the Hiyanglam bye-poll which concluded peacefully today.
Despite reports of some minor skirmishes in a few polling stations, the bye-election went without any cases of violent incidents.
Polling began at 7 am and continued till 4 pm but the polling duration was extended in 38/13 Lamjao Girl`™s LP School, the polling station with the maximum number of voters, as a result of the sloppiness of polling personnel and the large number of voters.
In all the 34 polling stations, people turned out in large numbers and waited in long queues to cast their ballots.
Polling station number 38/13 Lamjao Girl`™s LP School with a total number of 1150 voters, making it the the biggest in Hiyanglam, registered a turnout of a total 96.26 percent.
Despite having more female voters, the polling station witnessed a higher male voter turnout as 96.63 percent of the 564 male voters cast their ballot as compared to the 95.90 percent turnout witnessed among the 586 female voters.
However, 38/32 Arong Nongmaikhong P/S at 97.09 percent witnessed the highest voter turnout. The polling station which recorded the lowest turnout was 38/24 Thongjao Primary School at 92.37 percent.
An analysis of the male-female ratio has revealed that men turned out in greater numbers only in seven polling stations, while 27 polling stations witnessed a higher female turnout, as per the statistics released today by the returning officer of 38-Hiyanglam AC. The polling stations that recorded more male voters than female voters were 38/1 Sekmaijing P/S( East Wing), 38/2 Sekmaijing P/S (West Wing), 38/5 Hiyanglam Ibotombi P/S, 38/6 Hiyanglam Makha P/S, 38/13 Lamjao Girl`™s LP School, 38/21 Lamjao Tejpur LP School and 38/31 Arong Junior High School.
The final tally for male voters stood at 93.73 percent whereas for the female voters it stood at 96.05 percent as per the statistics released this evening by the RO of Hiyanglam AC.
Polling station number 38/34 Thounaojam Primary School (South Wing) with only an electorate of 411 voters, the smallest in the constituency, witnessed a turnout of 93.67 percent.
The State police and BSF personnel deployed for the bye-poll provided tight security in all the polling stations preventing any untoward incidents during the polling hours.
In some of the polling stations with less number of voters, polling ended as early as 3 pm. Overall, the poll percentage in all polling stations during 7 am to 1 pm was high as per the records of the presiding officers of the polling stations.
All the candidates rushed to the largest polling station as polling continued even after 4pm at 38/13 Lamjao Girl`™s LP School. Talking to media persons at the sidelines, BJP candidate M Dhanabir exuded confidence of winning the bye-poll.
It is good that polling has concluded peacefully but polling at the largest polling station is going at a snail`™s pace in comparison to other polling stations. The main reason being that it has the largest electorate which is further compounded by inexperience of the polling personnel, he observed.
Meanwhile, BJP general secretary M. Asnikumar Singh said this election will witness a political game change in Manipur. Now, people have changed and no money power or muscle power can decide the result of the elections in Hiyanglam anymore, he added.
MPP candidate Mayengbam Amutombi expressed disappointment with the people of Hiyanglam for not understanding the current state of affairs in the constituency.
This election will reveal to the people of Hiyanglam how unaware they were of the future. National political parties have spread a dangerous disease of bribery to the people. They treated the election as a big festival by buying voters with money, he rued.
AITC candidate Dr Yumnam Radheshyam observed that the poll was conducted peacefully without any signs of violence in all the polling stations. The huge turnout of voters shows that AITC is close to winning the bye-poll, he adds.
Meanwhile, MPTCC vice president M Thoiba said AITC will lead in 16 polling stations and records suggest that the chances of success for AITC is increasing in all the polling stations.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/record-9492-percent-voter-turnout-at-38hiyanglam-byeelection/
