Imphal:
Manipur has begun assigning officials who will oversee its next Assembly elections, appointing 11 nodal officers to handle arrangements ranging from security and expenditure monitoring to transport and cybersecurity.
The appointments were made by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer following guidance from the Election Commission of India in September, according to an official notification.
Senior Indian Police Service officer Kamei Angam Romanus will handle law and order and security arrangements, while Indian Administrative Service officer Hungyo Worshang has been assigned excise-related responsibilities.
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Konsam Binku will oversee election expenditure monitoring, and Khumanthem Diana Devi will be responsible for transport arrangements. The other officers have been assigned duties relating to computerisation, cybersecurity, communication, coordination with election observers and other aspects of election management.
The appointments come amid preparations for the Assembly polls, which are expected to be held in early 2027.
A team of senior Election Commission officials visited Imphal last week to assess poll preparedness across Manipur’s 16 districts. District election officers and superintendents of police briefed the team on the arrangements being put in place.
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Preparations have also included a workshop on the first-level checking of electronic voting machines and voter-verifiable paper audit trail units. Engineers from the Electronics Corporation of India Limited demonstrated the checking process and explained the technical and administrative safeguards used to verify the machines before they are deployed for elections.
The term of the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly ends on 13 March 2027. The previous Assembly elections were held in two phases, on February 28 and March 5 2022.
