Age No Barrier: Senior citizens turn out in force for Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2 in Northeast and Eastern India

Senior citizens, including a 94-year-old woman, exercised their franchise at a polling station in Ukhrul district of Outer Manipur during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday. Volunteers were on hand to assist the elderly at the polling station as voting got underway for the remaining part of the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency.

Another senior citizen also cast her vote at the polling station with the help of her family members. The voting is being conducted at 857 polling stations across 13 assembly segments in eight districts in the second phase.

Meanwhile, in Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency in West Bengal, another elderly woman expressed her satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the polling. She remarked, "This has been a very good and peaceful election. For that, we are very grateful to the people and everybody else. The Government should carry on the way they are doing things." The voter was assisted to the polling station in a wheelchair by volunteers.


Prior to the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, police in Ukhrul district used drones for surveillance. Ukhrul falls under the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha Constituency, where the Naga People's Front's (NPF) Kachui Timothy Zimik is contesting against Congress's Alfred K. Arthur.

Earlier, re-polling was conducted in 11 polling stations of the Inner Manipur constituency on April 22, following incidents of violence during the first phase of polling on April 19. Unidentified miscreants had opened fire and destroyed EVMs. The re-polling was conducted under tight security to prevent any untoward incidents.

The constituency of Outer Manipur is currently held by Lorho Phoze of the Naga People's Front. This time, however, the NPF is contesting as a partner in the BJP-led NDA, with the BJP supporting NPF candidate Kachui Timothy Zimik. Zimik is facing Congress MLA Alfred K Arthur, the joint Opposition candidate of the INDIA bloc.

Manipur recorded a voter turnout of over 69 per cent on April 19. The voting for the remaining 13 segments of Outer Manipur will take place in the second phase on April 26, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.

(With inputs from ANI)