NEW DELHI: In a significant political development, the Congress party has won both Lok Sabha seats in Manipur amidst ongoing ethnic violence, as confirmed by the Election Commission on Tuesday. Alfred Kanngam S Arthur triumphed in the Outer Manipur constituency, defeating his nearest rival Kachui Timothy Zimik of the Naga People's Front (NPF) by a margin of 85,418 votes. Arthur secured 3,84,954 votes, while Zimik garnered 2,99,536 votes.
Manipur has been in turmoil since May of last year, when ethnic violence erupted following a march by Kuki tribals in the hill districts to protest the valley-dominant Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribes status. The conflict has resulted in over 220 deaths, including security personnel, and has caused widespread displacement. Despite the unrest, a BJP-led government has been in power in the state since 2017.
Outer Manipur Lok Sabha Election Results 2024
Candidate Name
Party Name
Votes
Margin
Alfred Kanngam S Arthur
INC
384954
+85418
Kachui Timothy Zimik
Naga People's Front
299536
-85418
S Kho John
IND
89910
-295044
After the election results were announced, state Congress president K Meghachandra called for Chief Minister N Biren Singh's resignation, holding him accountable for the ongoing crisis and attributing the prevailing situation in Manipur to corruption.
Outer Manipur is one of the two Lok Sabha constituents of Manipur. This seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs). The seat is composed of 28 assembly constituencies. The seat went on for the election in the 2nd phase on 29th of April. There are over 5,53,078 lakh voters in the constituency. The voter turnout this year was 3,80,688 which is 68.83%.
Due to the ongoing violence in the region, the EC ordered fresh polls in six polling booths of Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency on April 30. The decision came after the officials stated that the EVMs and VVPATs were damaged in four of the six polling stations before voting could be completed during the second phase of polls on April 26.
Repolling at six polling stations in Outer Manipur on 26 April saw a voter turnout of 81.16% amid peaceful polling under heavy security.
BJP has decided not to field any candidate from the Outer Manipur parliamentary seat, but will extend its support to candidates put forth by the Naga People’s Front (NSF), its ally in the NDA.
Reflecting on previous elections, in 2019, the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency witnessed a total of 1022099 electors, with 858029 valid votes cast. Lorho S Pfoze of the Naga People’s Front emerged victorious with 363,527 votes while Houlim Shokhopao Mate of the BJP stood second with 289,745 votes, lagging by a margin of 73,782 votes.
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