Security beefed up in Imphal, as valley MLAs asked to meet Arambai Tenggol
Imphal (PTI): Security has been beefed up in and around Manipur capital Imphal as the Arambai Tenggol has asked all ministers and MLAs of the valley districts for a meeting at Kangla Fort here on Wednesday, an official said.
Arambai Tenggol, an organisation of around 50,000 people engaged in guarding villages in the valley areas of the state, has asked all ministers and MLAs of the valley districts to come for discussions, the details of which have not been specified, the official said, adding "there are intelligence reports that they (Arambai Tenggol) are planning to enter Kangla fort with arms before the meeting.
Security forces in full battle gear are guarding the high-security area where the Raj Bhavan, CM Secretariat, Manipur Police headquarters, 1st Manipur Rifles complex and Kangla fort are located.
They have barricaded all the entry points to the Kanga fort. The Kangla fort served as the royal seat of the Manipur kingdom till 1891.
Earlier too, Arambai Tenggol had asked all legislators to attend a meeting at Kangla Fort, the official said.
A three-member Union home ministry team met the leaders of the group at the residence of Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba on Monday, the official said.
The group has demanded the delisting of Kukis from the ST list, deportation of refugees to camps in Mizoram, border fencing, replacement of Assam Rifles with other paramilitary forces and revoking Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between Centre and Kuki militant groups, officials said.
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Voting underway for local body elections in Gujarat
Ahmedabad (PTI): Voting got underway on Sunday morning for elections to several local bodies in Gujarat, including 15 municipal corporations and 84 municipalities.
Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, as per the schedule announced by the State Election Commission.
The elections are being held for 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats, making it one of the largest electoral exercises in the state.
A total of 9,992 candidates are in the fray, with more than 4.18 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise.
A three-tier security is in place, aided by CCTV surveillance and deployment of special squads in sensitive areas, police officials said.
The polls are being conducted under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, and required extensive delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
The ruling BJP, Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have emerged as the key players, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting in several places.
Among notable candidates are former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer M L Ninama, ex-radio jockey Abha Desai, and former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani.
Ninama is contesting from the Odh seat in Shamlaji taluka for the Arvalli district panchayat elections, while the BJP has nominated Bhayani from the Bhesan seat of the Junagadh district panchayat.
Desai, popularly known as RJ Abha, is contesting as a Congress candidate from ward number 10 of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.
Elections are also being held for the first time in nine newly-created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
Counting of votes will take place on April 28.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel campaigned extensively for the BJP.
The AAP had taken the lead over other parties in launching the campaign, with its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressing several rallies across Gujarat.
In a first for AAP, the Kejriwal-led party is contesting around 5,000 seats in local polls.
Other contestants include the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Independents.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi campaigned in the final phase, addressing public meetings in Ahmedabad and Bhuj.
In March 2021, the BJP scored a landslide win in the local polls in Gujarat, winning 6,236 out of 8,470 seats across various municipalities and establishing a wide gap with rival Congress.
The BJP had then dominated all six municipal corporations, besides 81 municipalities, 32 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats.
