The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea seeking voting facilities in the coming Lok Sabha elections for the eighteen thousand internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the view of ongoing Manipur violence.
Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Hetvi Patel had mentioned before the bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud that 18000 internally displaced persons want to cast their votes in the Lok Sabha elections. Furthermore, it was also submitted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) rules allow voting of the IDPs who are within the state.
Notably, an early hearing of the matter was requested before the bench considering that voting is scheduled to take place on April 9 in Manipur. Subsequently, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud assured of an early hearing. He told the petitioner that it is not necessary for tomorrow and that he will give an early date.
Pradeep Kumar Jha, Chief Electoral Officer stated that more than 24,500 displaced people have been identified as eligible to vote in the upcoming elections and special arrangements have been made for them to cast their franchise from relief camps. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) norms, a vulnerability mapping of hamlets, villages and electoral segments vulnerable for threat and intimidation, is carried out ahead of polls.
The Chief Electoral Officer asserted that special teams have been formed to deal with these voters with empathy and they have also started voter awareness activities. He added that these activities are being designed keeping in mind the sentiments of the displaced people who have lost the comfort of being in their home and there is some level of frustration and negativity.
Reportedly, more than 50,000 internally displaced people are currently staying at relief centres across five valley districts and three hill districts. The Lok Sabha election in Manipur is scheduled to take place in two phases namely April 19 and 26 and have garnered much attention for the displaced population’s voting arrangements.