Imphal, Feb 13: Proxy voting in the valley districts of Manipur was much higher than that of hill districts in the recent crucial polls to the 10th State assembly on the final photograph comparison session today which has signaled another round of re-poll in various booths of two valley districts.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will decide whether to hold re-poll in the polling booths where rigged-poll had been detected with the scanning of electors’ photos after the three observers, who have been discharged with the duty of photographs comparison, submit their finding and detection, Joint Chief Election Officer, Praveen told reporters here.
The inquiry process was sealed after taking signatures of the concerned Returning Officers (ROs) and the same will be submitted to the ECI tomorrow, Praveen said while informing that the details of the final photo comparison process was not with the State election office.
The ECI, for the first time in the country, has initiated the step of taking photograph of every voter on the polling day so as to avoid illegal voting, especially impersonation.
Wabagai constituency of Thoubal district turned out with the highest rate of proxy polling while comparing with two other constituencies of Imphal East district Keirao constituency and Andro constituency as shown by the telecast of the photo comparison process conducted at the office of the State election office here.
As many as 177 polling stations under 13 constituencies in six districts of the State engaged in electorate photograph comparison between that affixed on the electoral rolls and the photographs taken on the polling day January 28.
The process was conducted yesterday for Tamei constituency of Tamenglong district, Saikot constituency of Churachandpur district and Tengnoupal constituency of Chandel district and today, Keirao constituency and Andro constituency of Imphal East district, and Wabagai constituency of Thoubal district were under the final scanning. Wabagai constituency was found freely yielded to over 50 per cent proxy voting.
A large-scale rigged-polling had been committed in total violation of the election code of conduct issued by ECI, Chungkhosei Haokip, who contested the polls from Saikot constituency seat on BJP ticket told reporters while witnessing the conduct of photo comparison.
The photograph scanning process would bring a better result, Tourism Minister TN Haokip asserted. Besides Haokip, sitting MLAs T. Manga Vaiphei, Awangbou Newmai, Allauddin also came to witness the process.
Meanwhile, the three special observers of the ECI taking the task of voters’ photographs comparison work left Imphal for Delhi this afternoon, official sources said.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/proxy-voting-found-galore/
