Lok Sabha elections 2024: Special polling stations to be set up in Manipur relief camps

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will set up special polling stations in relief camps to facilitate voters displaced by the ethnic violence in Manipur to cast their votes in Lok Sabha elections.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said that like in Jammu and Kashmir, the displaced persons in Manipur would cast their votes in the special polling stations in relief camps in different districts.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pradeep Kumar Jha said that designated Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) would be appointed for each district to take the votes of the displaced persons in the relief camps.


Special Polling Stations would be set up for a cluster of polling stations, the official said, adding counting of votes will take place at the district headquarters.

The displaced eligible voters, staying in the relief camps, are required to submit ID related forms to the designated AROs at least 10-day before the date of poll.

According to the final photo electoral rolls of all 60 Assembly Constituencies, published on January 22, the total number of voters in Manipur is 20,26,623 including 10,47,929 women.

The total number of polling stations is 2955 in all 16 districts.

The CEO said that of the two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur, polling will be held in Outer Manipur (reserved for the tribals) in two phases – April 19 and April 26 while in the Inner Manipur seat polling would be held on April 19.

The Manipur government is currently operating around 320 relief camps with more than 59,000 men, women and children staying in them.

At least 220 people have been killed, 1,500 injured and 60,000 displaced after the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi community broke out on May 3 last year.

The riots began after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.