Imphal: At least four Electronic Voting Machines were damaged at different polling booths in conflict-hit Manipur on Friday where polling was held in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, according to sources.
"EVMs have been damaged at four places in Imphal East and West. At one of the polling booths, an EVM was set ablaze by unidentified miscreants," a source said.
Under the shadow of a long-drawn ethnic conflict, Manipur was set to go to polls on Friday for the two constituencies--Inner and Outer Manipur. Polling is also scheduled in some areas of the Outer Manipur constituency in phase 2 on April 26.
According to the sources, incidents of intimidation and firing were reported from several places in the Inner Manipur constituency where voting for the Lok Sabha polls took place on Friday.
Manipur has witnessed sporadic, sometimes intense, ethnic clashes since May 3 last year between the majority Meitei community and the Kukis, resulting in the loss of more than 200 lives. While the Meiteis are now concentrated in Imphal city, the Kukis have moved to the hills.
More than 24,000 displaced people living in the relief camps were identified by the Election Commission as eligible to vote and 94 special polling stations were set up for them. No voting arrangements were made for those who left the northeastern state following the clashes to take shelter outside.
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