| Smooth
Polling
If one goes by the recent spate of attacks on the residences of candidates including the residence of a former Chief Minister and burning of party offices by unidentified persons, it is feared that violence may mar the election to the 8th Manipur Legislative Assembly, as was witnessed in the last election. Those candidates who become jittery after the attacks will definitely turn to the Government for protection or security guards, which means that the police department will be having a tough time in guarding the candidates as well as ensuring smooth polling.
The State had requested the Center to send more than 500 companies of central forces to ensure a free and fair voting. But now the Center has informed that only 30 companies would be arriving here for poll duties. Despite the shortcoming it is reassuring when the Director General of Police AA Siddiqui told reporters that the election would be a smooth affair. We hope that this would indeed be the case and the two-phase polling will be free from any kind of violence and unwanted incidents.
It will be a boon for the voters if they are allowed to enter the polling booths, choose their candidates and then stamp the seal without any fear. It is not only Manipur, which is concerned with the problem of security. All the other States that will go to the polls are facing the same challenge. The problem of poll violence has become a serious concern for all the States on the country. Booth capturing, rigging, snatching of ballot papers and threat and intimidation to voters have become the hallmark of Indian election. This does not speak well of the kind of democracy we have in India.
Another concern is the reported skirmishes between supporters of rival candidates. While the candidates themselves are hurling verbal abuses only against their opponents, their supporters sometimes indulge in violence. This is not a healthy trend. It will be appreciated if all the candidates ensure that their respective supporters stay away of any form of violence. The task of ensuring a free and fair election should not be left only with the authority or the police. All the candidates, supporters stay away of any form of violence. The task of ensuring a free and fair election should not be left only with the authority or the police.
All the candidates, supporters and voters should make contributions to make the democratic exercise meaningful. It is unfortunate that so far the election office here in Imphal has not been able to provide information related to the polls in time to the local press offices. It is because of this reason that all the papers based in Imphal carried different figures of the total number of candidates on the next day of the closing of filing papers. The office was also unable to give the exact number of candidates left in the fray till night on the day of the last date for withdrawal of papers.
We are not trying to find faults, but it will be better if all the election offices are connected by phone so that information may come immediately at the election office here in Imphal. We believe the authority concerned must be working overtime in collecting all the information. We hope the election office in Imphal will be able to collect all the results of the polling days and counting days without delay.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express) |
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