India Will Rerun Elections In 11 Munipur Locations Owing To Violence

In the midst of ethnic hostilities, Manipur would rerun voting at 11 polling places, according to India’s Chief Electoral Officer Kumar.

11 polling places in the northeastern state of Manipur will have their elections redone, according to proposals released by India.

This decision was made in reaction to allegations of violence and voting machine damage in an area where ethnic conflicts had plagued the area for months.

Manipur’s Chief Electoral Officer, Rajiv Kumar, claims that the electoral authorities have declared the 11 polling places’ results null and void and have called for new elections.

The declaration was released late on Saturday, after a turbulent day of voting on Friday that signaled the start of the election process involving almost one billion people in the most populous nation on earth. The election is scheduled to end on June 1.

Expected to win an uncommon third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused his campaign on economic expansion, social welfare, and Hindu nationalism.

The primary opposition Congress party, however, has expressed concerns amid the election fervor and called for a rerun in 47 polling places in Manipur, citing instances of booth capturing and electoral malpractices.

There were scattered reports of violence on Friday throughout the state, including fights between armed groups and attempts to take over voting places in spite of strong security.

However, there was a notable increase in voter turnout, demonstrating the electorate’s tenacity in the face of violence that has taken the lives of at least 220 people in the last year alone.

Since May, the tribal Kuki-Zo people have been at odds with the dominant Meitei group, causing instability in Manipur.

The state is still split, with a buffer zone kept under observation by federal paramilitary forces separating the Kuki-influenced hills and the Meitei-dominated valley.