India to hold new elections in Manipur state due to violence

The election authority has declared the results of the vote in 11 places invalid and ordered a fresh vote, Manipur state's chief electoral officer said in a statement late on Saturday.

People cast their votes in Imphal, Manipur, India on April 19, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Friday marked the first day of voting for nearly a billion people in the world's most populous country in an election that runs until June 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to win a third term.

The main opposition parties have called for a re-vote in 47 places in Manipur state, alleging election fraud. Sporadic violence broke out in the state on Friday. Voters turned out in large numbers, despite ethnic conflict that has killed at least 220 people in the state over the past year.

Manipur has been roiled by fighting between the majority Meitei people and the Kuki-Zo tribes since May 2023. It remains divided between a Meitei-controlled valley and Kuki-dominated hills, separated by a strip of wasteland policed ​​by federal paramilitary forces.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/an-do-phai-to-chuc-bau-cu-lai-o-bang-manipur-do-bao-luc-post292627.html