Tight security arrangements are in place for the first of the two-phase Manipur Assembly polls to be held on Saturday.
The first phase will cover 38 constituencies, for which 1,643 polling stations have been set up in areas spread over Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur and the hill districts of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
In all, 168 candidates will contest in the first phase.
The State has a 19.02 lakh-strong electorate comprising 9.28 lakh male voters and 9.73 lakh female voters. There are around 45,642 new voters.
The campaigns of all political parties have mainly focused on the continuing economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council and the State government’s inability to resolve it.
Other important campaign issues include the alleged lack of development, massive corruption, misappropriation of funds and worsening law and order in the State.
Congress leaders, including party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, put the spotlight on the “secretive nature” and contents of the Naga Framework Agreement, which was signed between the Centre and the NSCN(I-M) in 2015.
BJP leaders targeted the ruling Congress for its alleged failure to lift the over three month-long economic blockade on the two national highways of the land-locked State. They also levelled corruption charges against the Okram Ibobi Singh government and its inability to provide basic amenities to the people of the State, particularly the supply of potable water.
The Congress counterposed, saying the government had, during its 15-year rule, implemented several development projects and improved the power supply.
Ibobi Singh recently accused the BJP of trying to take credit for development projects like railway projects initiated and inaugurated by the Congress.
All eyes are on rights activist Irom Sharmila Chanu who broke her 16-year fast last year and founded a party of her own — the ‘Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance’ — to fight the Assembly elections in her quest to get the dreaded AFSPA repealed.