With just two days remaining until the second phase of polling in parts of Outer Manipur, three medium-intensity blasts damaged a bridge in the Kangpokpi district late Tuesday night. The incident, which occurred around 1:15 am close to Sapormeina, has caused disruptions to traffic along National Highway-2, which connects Imphal to Dimapur in Nagaland. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosions, and investigations are underway by security forces, who have cordoned off the area and are searching other nearby bridges. The first phase of polling in the state, held on April 19, was marked by gunfire, destruction of EVMs, and allegations of coercion and intimidation in parts of the Inner Manipur constituency. Eleven polling stations in the constituency subsequently went to elections again on April 22. In a letter to the Election Commission, Joint Chief Electoral Officer of Manipur, Ramananda Nongmeikapam, highlighted instances of mob violence, booth capturing, and destruction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) during the first round of polling. He also reported that an elderly man was shot and injured by miscreants in Imphal East. Since then, gunfights have also occurred in the area at the border of Imphal West and Kangpokpi district. According to news agency PTI, a group of villagers descended from hills in the Kangpookpi district, after which heavy firing was reported in the Awang Sekmai and neighboring Luwangsangol villages.
Explosions Damage Bridge in Manipur Ahead of Second Phase of Elections
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