<span style="color: #222222;">In Manipur, all the necessary preparations have been made for the First of the Two-Phase polling of Assembly Elections tomorrow. The polling will be conducted from 7.00 A.M. to 4.00 P.M.<br />'' <br />'' During the First Phase of Assembly Elections in Manipur, thirty eight seats from six districts will go to polls tomorrow out of which one seat is reserved for Scheduled Castes and eight seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. These districts include Imphal East and West, Bishnupur, Pherzawl, Churchandpur and Kangpokpi district.<br />'' <br />'' There are 173 candidates including 15 women for 38 seats in the First Phase. Maximum eight candidates are vying for three seats including Sekmai, Saikot and Saikul while there is a direct fight between the BJP and Congress candidates in three constituencies including Heingang, Nambol and Thanga.<br />'' <br />'' The total number of eligible electors for this phase is 12,09,439 including 5,80,607 male, 6,28,657 female and 175 third gender voters. In all, 1,721 Polling Stations have been set up in the concerned constituencies for their convenience.  <br />'' <br />'' The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded its candidates on all the 38 seats going to polls in this phase. The Congress-led Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance, which comprises the leftist parties including CPI, CPI (M), RSP and Forward Block along with Janata Dal (Secular), is contesting 36 seats together. Out of these, Congress has put up 35 candidates while CPI has one candidate. Janata Dal (United), which is going in for the polls without any alliance, has fielded 28 candidates while National Peoples' Party has 27 candidates. Shivsena has fielded seven, Nationalist Congress Party and Republican Party of India (Athawale) have six each along with Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) has three candidates. In addition, Kuki National Assembly and Kuki Peoples' Alliance have two candidates each while 18 independents are also in fray.<br />'' <br />'' The prominent BJP candidates in this phase include Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Y. Khemchand, Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh, former Ministers Nemcha Kipgen and V. Hangkhanglian. Deputy Chief Minister Y. Joykumar is among the prominent candidates of National Peoples' Party while those from Congress include former Speaker T. N. Haokip and Party State Unit Chief N. Loken Singh.<br />'' <br />'' The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is being used along with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at every Polling Station, with a view to enhance the transparency and credibility of the election process, as VVPAT allows the voter to verify his or her vote.<br />'' In view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic and rising cases of Omicron variant across the country, Election Commission has laid focus on COVID-safe elections with maximum participation.<br />''<br />'' Option of Postal Ballot facility has been extended to the electors who are COVID-19 positive or suspect as certified by competent authority and are in home or institutional quarantine along with those marked as Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and above the age of 80 years.<br />'' <br />'' As per the Election Commission instructions, the concerned Chief Electoral Officers are ensuring that every Polling Station is equipped with Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) like drinking water, waiting shed, toilet with water facility, adequate arrangements for lighting, ramp of appropriate gradient for the Persons with Disabilities. The special facilities include mandatory sanitization of Polling Station, thermal checking of voters at entry point either by polling staff or paramedical staff or an Asha worker. At the last hour of poll, such electors will be facilitated for voting, strictly following COVID-19 related preventive measures.<br />'' <br />'' In view of the pandemic, the Commission has decided to extend the poll timing by one hour in all Assembly Constituencies. The COVID-19 patients, who are quarantined, will be allowed to cast their vote at the last hour of the poll day at their respective Polling Stations, under the supervision of health authorities, strictly following COVID-19 related preventive measures. Proper mechanism of collection and disposal of waste or used gloves will be put in place at each Polling Station.<br />'' <br />'' </span>AIR correspondent reports that  total of twelve lakh nine thousand and four hundred and thirty nine voters including six lakh twenty eight and six hundred and fifty seven female voters will decide the fate of these 173 candidates tomorrow. Among the candidates, thirty nine candidates have criminal antecedents. Among the one thousand seven hundred and twenty one polling stations, 381 will be Pink polling stations. Interestingly, the polling stations of four assembly constituencies will be completely manned by all women polling teams. One polling station in Saikot assembly constituency will be manned completely by PwD polling personnel. To ensure COVID safe election, adequate arrangements have been made in all polling stations. The voting will start from seven in the morning and will end at four in the evening.<br />''<br />'' The election body has also announced certain restrictions imposed on poll day in the polling station premises in order to ensure free, fair and smooth election. It said that providing free conveyance to voters to and from the polling stations by a candidate or his agent is corrupt practice and strictly forbidden. The voters are required to produce one of the twelve identity documents approved by ECI during the voting. Control rooms have been set up in all offices of RO, DEO and CEO Office and certain restrictions have been imposed within the hundred meters of the polling booth.