"The voting percentage is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained as polling is scheduled till 6 pm in many constituencies. Final figures will be known on Saturday after the scrutiny of form 17A," the EC said.
The Manipur government relaxed the curfew in Imphal East and West districts for seven hours from 5 am on Friday to facilitate common people to purchase essential items, officials said.
Curfew was imposed in the entire Imphal valley on Thursday following violent protests for the release of five men, including a trained cadre of a banned terror outfit, who were arrested earlier this week on the charges of extortion.
Around 1.72 crore voters, including 94.60 lakh men and 77.84 lakh women, are eligible to cast their votes in this round to decide the fate of 635 candidates.
The MoU was signed on Monday between representatives of the state government and leaders of the Kangleipak communist Party-Nongdreinkhomba, Kuki National Liberation Front and Kuki Revolutionary Party.
Shah made the announcement while addressing the passing out parade of the first batch of the five newly constituted Assam Police Commando battalions in Guwahati.
The petitioners, however, challenged the government's contention, saying this was an attempt to "overawe" the court
Ten Manipur tribal MLAs Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to withdraw Assam Rifles from security duties in the violence-hit state, saying its personnel have been putting their lives at risks to create buffer zones between the two warring communities.
'And (the prime minister does so) without giving any hint of a recognition of the political violence resulting in the ethnic cleansing (of tribals and Kukis) which he simply equates it with atrocities against women in other parts of India.' 'This is not acceptable.'
Shah said for the first time in India's history, Modi prioritised security, peace and development in the northeast and as a result of it, the region is now rapidly heading on the path of peace and development.
With them, a total of 74 Myanmar military personnel had fled to Mizoram due to the recent gunfights with the People's Defence Force.
Uttar Pradesh, which is set to witness game-changer elections, and four other states will go to polls simultaneously, most likely in February-March next, commencing shortly after the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1.
Two more Myanmarese soldiers entered Mizoram after militia group People's Defence Force (PDF) overran their camp in the neighbouring country's Chin state, a police officer said on Wednesday.
"The violent mob vandalised all the houses and burnt them to the ground after looting all the moveable properties," the FIR lodged at Saikul police station claimed.
She also demanded that Chief Minister N Biren Singh admit his failure and apologise to the people of Manipur.
On July 30, the CBI informed the apex court that its had filed two chargesheets before the competent court in connection with the cases.
The court was hearing a PIL seeking probe and compensation in the alleged 1,528 extra-judicial killings in Manipur from 2000 to 2012 by security forces and police.
Activist Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been on fast for more than 12 years demanding repeal of the 'draconian' Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, was re-arrested by state police, officials said on Thursday.
The IMD has warned of heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh during the next five days.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra will be hearing the petition filed by NGO Manipur Tribal Forum.
Cries of 'Jai Hind' rent the air as a large number of people bid a final adieu to Colonel Viplav Tripathi, his wife and five-year-old son, who were killed in a terrorist attack in Manipur two days ago, in their hometown Raigarh in Chhattisgarh on Monday.
The Kirti Chakra awardees are Major Digvijay Singh Rawat of 21st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), Major Deependra Vikram Basnet from the Sikh Regiment's fourth battalion and Havildar Pawan Kumar Yadav from the 21st battalion of the Mahar Regiment, according to the defence ministry.
'Somebody strong is playing a game behind the violence in Manipur.' 'It is a pre-planned attack on churches, Christian organisations and Christians.'
'Iron Lady of Manipur' Irom Sharmila, who has been on a fast for the past eight years to demand the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, has been re-arrested, police said on Tuesday. Sharmila, who was released on March 7 by a local court, was re-arrested on Monday on charges of attempted suicide, after she went on hunger-strike again, they said.Sharmila had begun her fast unto death in 2001.
Appealing with "folded hands" for an end to the three-month-long cycle of violence in Manipur, Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday urged the warring Kuki and Meitei communities to hold talks, even as the Lok Sabha adopted a resolution calling for the restoration of peace in the northeastern state.
The National Security Strategy document should flag all major issues concerning security strategy and provide guidelines to concerned departments to work out suitable action plans. Since the global and regional geopolitical canvas is dynamic, the NSS document should be deliberated at length before formulation and should be reviewed periodically, recommends Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
'If the Kukis and Meiteis are the warring groups, then we need to find space for a third group which can mediate between the two.'
It was not yet known whether Manipur's Agriculture Minister K Ranjit and Deputy Inspector General of Police Jathang were injured in the attack that took place at Tingkhanphai in Chandel district.
For the first time in the three-week-long agitation, police opened fire on agitators in Imphal East and West districts.
The Imphal Valley in Manipur remained peaceful but tense on Friday, however intermittent gunfights between militant groups and security forces were reported from the hill districts surrounding the valley.
An unofficial and brutal justice system exists parallel to the official one, and it executes many times more of the accused than the official one executes convicts, points out Aakar Patel.
Two militants were on Tuesday killed in an encounter with police personnel in Bishenpur district and another militant of ZUF arrested in Tamenglong district of Manipur.
The issue at the core of it is the perceived fear among the locals of getting outnumbered and uprooted by 'others' and eventually losing their identity
Markets, banks, business establishments and educational institutions were closed and transport services were suspended.
Though the identity of the insurgents was not known, police said it suspected that they belonged to the banned United National Liberation Front.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused urgent hearing on a plea seeking Army protection for minority Kuki tribals amid ethnic violence in Manipur.
Insurgents struck on New Year's eve, killing the top man in the state's intelligence set-up
Seven suspected militants were killed in an encounter with Assam Rifles personnel in Manipur's Imphal East district, the police said on Sunday. The incident happened on Saturday at Andro, about 25 km from Imphal, in the district.
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