In the wake of the turmoil that unfolded on May 3, 2023, a substantial number of registered voters in various sectors of Manipur found themselves uprooted from their native abodes. These individuals currently seek refuge in Relief Camps dispersed across different districts within Manipur.
Despite their displacement, these electors maintain their enrollment at their original residential locales prior to the commencement of the conflict. Following extensive consultations with both the Central Government and the State Government, the Election Commission of India has issued a directive.
It mandates the continued inclusion of these displaced individuals in the electoral rolls of the pertinent assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Manipur. Drawing from a precedent established in similar circumstances, the internally displaced electors will be afforded the opportunity to exercise their voting rights at designated ‘Special Polling Stations’ to be established within Relief Camps.
In a notable move, exercising powers conferred by Article 324 of the Constitution in conjunction with Section 25 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission of India has formally recognized the internally displaced persons of Manipur State as a distinct category of voters, hereafter referred to as ‘specified’ voters.
For the convenience of these voters, the Election Commission has sanctioned the establishment of special polling stations beyond the territorial confines of their home constituencies. These stations will be strategically located in various districts of Manipur where the displaced electors currently reside, either in relief camps or due to their forced displacement.
