Women carrying kids, a candidate with commandos — glimpses from 1st polling day in Manipur

ThePrint visited a number of polling booths in Manipur's capital Imphal, to gauge and capture the mood of the voters in the first of two phases.

Women with he child line up in a side of the que outside the polling booth in Lumlai assembly constituency in phase 1 of Manipur polls | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Imphal: Manipur is voting in the first phase of its two-phase assembly elections Monday, with 38 of the 60 constituencies going to the polls.

The candidates in the fray for this phase include Chief Minister N. Biren Singh of the BJP, Deputy Chief Minister Y. Joykumar Singh of the National People’s Party, and former CM O. Ibobi Singh of the Congress.

Men and women lined up in large numbers at polling booths in capital Imphal, with many women donning the traditional Manipuri pheis and phaneks, and some also lugging their children along.

At one polling booth ThePrint visited, Congress candidate L. Deben Singh arrived to cast his ballot flanked by commandos.

ThePrint spoke to some voters, who said the main issues in these elections have been road connectivity, education, and employment.

The other 22 constituencies in the state will go to the polls on 5 March and results will be announced on 10 March.

Here are a few glimpses of polling day in Imphal.

Voters queue up at a polling booth in Khurai Thangjam Leikai | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Voters queue up at a polling booth in Khurai Thangjam Leikai | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Voters sitting in a queue to cast their vote in Lamlai| Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

More voters at Lamlai | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Food and flowers offered to voters by BJP candidate Thangjam Mohendro in Khundrakpam constituency | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Lamlai Congress candidate Deben Singh, flanked by commandos, asks for “support and love” while heading to a polling booth in his constituency | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A woman carries her child on her back while standing in a polling queue at Takhel primary school in Lamlai | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A person with disability being taken to vote at Takhel primary school in Lamlai | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

People hold up their identification documents as they wait to cast their votes in Lamlai | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

More women voters in a queue in Lamlai | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A woman passes a security man on her way to casting her vote | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Another security man on duty at Takhel primary school | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Young women wait to cast their vote in Lamlai | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

(Edited by Shreyas Sharma)