Imphal: Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Manipur scheduled for April 19 and 26, Kuki-Zo MLAs from the state assembly have urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to facilitate voting for displaced members of their communities currently residing in other parts of the country.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner dated March 25, the 10 MLAs requested the ECI to establish special polling stations, if necessary, for internally displaced persons (IDPs) belonging to the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar community who hail from Manipur.
The legislators appealed to the ECI to allow these displaced eligible voters to cast their ballots using Aadhaar cards and other valid documentation.
They further requested the commission to direct all states and union territories to identify such displaced persons immediately.
The ECI has already announced arrangements for IDPs residing in relief camps within Manipur’s Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts to vote.
However, the MLAs expressed concern that many genuine Kuki-Zo voters, including those who fled to Mizoram, would be disenfranchised if similar provisions aren’t made for them.
The letter comes in the wake of ethnic clashes that erupted in Churachandpur district in May 2023, displacing over 60,000 people and claiming 222 lives.
These 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, including two women, have previously boycotted sessions of the Manipur Legislative Assembly on two separate occasions.