Fate of 19 candidates to be known today

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 22: Vote counting for both Inner and Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituencies will begin from 8 am tomorrow at the respective District HQs and the fate of 19 candidates will be decided as well.
Counting will be held across 34 Counting Centres at the DHQs, which will also be guarded in three shifts by over 3000 security personnel comprising of 27 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces and civil police and State armed police.
Two counting halls will also be present at the office of the ROs for counting the postal ballots.
According to a reliable source, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) PK Singh personally inspected the vote counting preparations at Imphal Est, Imphal West and Bishnupur districts today.
The Observers concerned have also reached their respective stations and one Observer will be tasked with monitoring a counting hall each.
The source further explained that to ensure up-to-date information, the CEO had already installed digital boards at Thong Nambonbi (Khwairamband Keithel) and DIPR (Moirangkhom).
Similar boards have also been installed at Imphal West DC complex and Thoubal DC complex specially for media persons.
The source informed that the counting halls will be monitored  by CCTV cameras and the transportation of EVMs from the strong rooms to the counting halls will be monitored by CCTVs as well.
It may be mentioned that a total of 19 candidates (8 Outer and 11 Inner) contested the election which was conducted in two phases (on April 11 and April 18).
The candidates for Outer Constituencies are Angam Karung Kom (NCP), K James (INC), Thangminlien Kipgen (NPP),  Lorho S Pfoze (NPF), H Shokhopao Mate (BJP), Ashang Kasar (NEIDP), Hangkhanpao Taithul (JDU) and Leikhan Kaipu (Independent) while the candidates for Inner are O Nabakishore (INC), Dr M Nara (CPI), Dr RK Ranjan (BJP), RK Anand (NEIDP), O Jugindro (MPP), Dr G Tonsana Sharma (MDPF), S Nandeshwor (RJSP), Md Iliyash Khan, M Totomsana Nongshaba, RK Somorendro and Wahengbam Pobitro (Independents).
The total voter turn out reached around 82.78 percent (84.13 women and 81.36 men).
18 third genders also caste their votes in the recent election.