The troubled northeastern state of Manipur in India has been in the spotlight after armed men attacked polling stations and captured voting booths, leading to the Election Commission of India directing officials to redo voting at several polling places.
The conflict in Manipur stems from a dispute over tribal status, with the mostly Hindu Meiteis and Christian hill tribes known as Kukis at odds. This conflict has resulted in over 200 deaths and thousands of people being internally displaced.
Video footage from the Inner Manipur constituency showed mobs raiding polling stations and breaking electronic voting machines, while armed gangs were seen threatening voters at another station. The presence of armed men and mob violence led to chaos during the voting process.
The Election Commission of India has ordered a re-vote at 11 polling stations where violence and rigging were reported. However, opposition political groups are calling for new voting in more than 45 polling booths in 12 areas of Manipur, citing widespread irregularities.
Keisham Meghachandra, a leader of the opposition Indian National Congress in Manipur, described the situation as “mass rigging” and pointed out that violence occurred in areas where voters are unhappy with the local and national government.
Manipur is currently governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, and the state’s chief minister, Nongthombam Biren Singh, has faced criticism for the handling of the elections. With six more phases of voting to go in India, the results are set to be announced on June 4.
