Sharmila to cast vote today after 24 years

IMPHAL:

Sharmila Chanu

is all set to cast her vote for the first phase of the Manipur assembly election on Saturday after a long gap of 24 years. The Iron Lady will

exercise her franchise

at her ancestral place,

Kongpal Kongkham Leikai

, under the

Khurai assembly constituency

in Imphal East.

The first phase of the election will have 1,643 polling stations across the state for the 38 seats that will go to the polls in the first phase for the 60-member house.

There are 168 candidates in the fray for the five districts going to the poll on Saturday: Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur in the valley and Churachandpur and Kangpokpi in the hills.

"The last time I cast my vote it was in 1995 for the assembly election and after that I have not voted in the past 24 years," said Sharmila, adding that of the 24 years, she spend 16 years in prison at the security ward of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences when she was fasting for the withdrawal of the oppressive Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

The 45-year-old rights crusader is taking on chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh from Thoubal for her newly-floated party, the People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA). Sharmila is now camping in Thoubal Leishangthem for purposes of campaign.

Talking about her schedule for Saturday, Sharmila said will hold a meeting with her workers at Thoubal Leishanthem in the morning and then go to cast her vote.

"Our polling station is located inside a school adjacent to a playground where I used to play in my childhood," said Sharmila, who penned an anthology of poems on socio-political issues when she was in prison.

Sitting Congress MLA Ngairangbam Bijoy Singh, L Sushindro Meitei of the BJP and CPI nominee RK Nominee have locked horns for Khurai. "I will cast my vote for the candidate I have chosen," said Sharmila, who ended her 16-year fast on August 9 last year with some honey.

Though Sharmila held her flag-hoisting ceremony at her ancestral place, she will repeat the act at Thoubal, from where she is contesting the assembly polls. She said religious traditions demand this.

"The flag hoisting ceremony will be at both the places," said the activist, who has been given nine security escorts, including two women cops, against her wishes.