Violence mars panchayat polls in Manipur

Panchayat elections in Manipur were held amidst violence, including the torching of a candidate's house, firing and clash among rival candidates.

Panchayat elections in Manipur were on Wednesday held amidst violence, including the torching of a candidate's house, firing, shutdown in hill districts and clash among rival candidates, official sources said.

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Opposing the panchayat elections in hill districts of the state, Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) and All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM) jointly called a 13-hour shutdown, police said.

The house of the one 'Pradhan' candidate at Char Hazar village in Manipur's Senapati district was torched by about 300 women agitators who supported the shutdown, the sources said.

In another incident, some underground activists fired in the air near a polling station in Imphal East district. There was no report of any casualty, the sources said.

A clash occurred between workers of two candidates during polling hours at Ishok village in Imphal West district.

Altogether 2,679-gram panchayat candidates, 555 pradhan candidates and 251 zila parishad candidates are in the fray, official sources said, adding the electorate numbered at 6,30,390.