The voting in the state will be conducted in two phases on February 27 and March 3 (File)
A team of the Election Commission of India will visit Manipur today to review the poll preparedness for the ensuing election to the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly. One of the key agendas of the team will be to do a ground zero review of the COVID-19 situation apart from law and order updates, official sources said.
The poll body team's visit comes at a time when the influential All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) has fixed February 10 as the deadline for the Election Commission to consider the appeal from various civil society groups and church organisations for rescheduling the polling date of February 27, which falls on a Sunday.
ATSUM has strongly condemned the Election Commission of India for declining to reschedule the polling date of February 27 despite serious objections from civil society organisations and church organisations in the state.
The decision to conduct the poll on Sunday would prevent many citizens from casting their votes as Sunday is a day for rest and worship, and is considered holy and sacred, ATSUM said in a press release.
"Since the Election Commission espouses participation of all eligible citizens to exercise their adult franchise, ATSUM had opined that it would be in everyone's interest if the poll body reschedules the polling on a day that will allow maximum people to cast their votes, which will, in turn, promote the democratic standard of the country," it stated.
ATSUM further alleged that the state government has also failed to understand the wish and desire of the Christian community of the state. It stated that the polling date in Punjab has already been rescheduled with the active support of the state government.
The poll body team today will hold a meeting with the chief secretary, director general of police, chief electoral officer, state police nodal officer, DG Assam Rifles, recognized national and state political parties, district election officers, superintendents of police, and enforcement agencies.