Elections to be repeated in India's Manipur state

A decision has been made to repeat elections in India's Manipur state.

According to reports in the Indian press, Election Commission officials announced that votes at 11 polling stations have been declared void due to violent incidents in Manipur, and that elections will be held again.

In Manipur, despite security measures, clashes between armed groups occurred on April 19, and damage was inflicted on polling stations and voting machines.

Within the scope of the elections in India, which began on April 19 and will continue until June 1, approximately 968 million voters will cast their ballots to determine the members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the federal parliament.

VIOLENCE IN MANIPUR

Violent incidents began on May 3, 2023, during protests launched by the Meitei community, which makes up 53 percent of the state's population, over their exclusion from the "Scheduled Tribe" category, as other ethnic groups opposed their inclusion.

In the state, where a "shoot-on-sight order" was given to the military on May 4, the death toll from the violence has risen to 220, while more than 60 thousand people have been displaced.

The Central Bureau of Investigation of India had formed a 53-person team to investigate numerous cases related to the violent incidents that occurred in Manipur state.

News Source: AA