Repolling to be held on March 4 in some constituencies of Manipur; Two hurt in Guwahati grenade blast; Police convoy attacked by GNLA rebels; ULFA linkman arrested in Meghalaya; Blast destroys power tower
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    • Reports noted that the Election Commission of India ordered re-poll in 67 polling stations of 9 Assembly seats across five hills districts in Manipur on March 4. Fresh polls will now be held between 7 am and 3 pm in Manipur. Re-poll has been ordered in 25 polling stations in Chandel (ST) seat and Tengnoupal (ST) in Chandel district,13 in Karong (ST), 10 in Tadubi (ST), 6 in Mao (ST), 2 in Saikul (ST) in Senapati district, 8 in Tamei (ST) in Tamenglong district, one in Chingai (ST) in Ukhrul district and Singhat (ST) in Churachandpur district. Polling had been countermanded following complains from 10 non-Congress parties in connection with the detection of alleged malpractices in many polling stations in the January 28 Assembly polls. 1

    In another development, according to reports, two days before the Budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly is scheduled to begin, unidentified miscreants on February 28, lobbed a grenade near Punjab National Bank on the RG Baruah Road, injuring two persons. The grenade, according to police, was lobbed from the other side of the road and exploded near an auto rickshaw which was moving towards Ganeshguri. The driver of the auto-rickshaw is among one of the injured. 2

    Meanwhile, reports noted that a senior police official and his convoy narrowly escaped an ambush by a heavily-armed group of the Garo National Liberation Army at Ramdapara area in West Garo Hills district. Ampati Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Sacheng R Marak and his convoy travelling to Dalu from Tura were ambushed by about ten heavily-armed GNLA cadres. The GNLA placed themselves on a strategically placed hill in the area and opened heavy fire on the convoy. However, the convoy retaliated and managed to drive the GNLA cadres into the nearby forest after an hour’s gunbattle. 3

    According to reports, a Bangladeshi linkman of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and Garo National Liberation Army was arrested in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district when he sneaked into India from the neighbouring country. BSF troopers seized a cellphone with Bangladesh SIM card from Marak's possession. During questioning, Marak revealed that he was staying in Samalchura area in Bangladesh's Sherpur district and that he has been working for ULFA for the last 10 years and got involved with GNLA during previous year. 4

    In other developments, according to reports, an improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by anti-talk faction of ULFA exploded at Borpathar in Sivasagar district, damaging a power transmission tower of NEEPCO. Police said three IEDs, weighing nearly a kg, were planted on the power transmission tower and one of them exploded damaging the tower. The other two IEDs were later defused by the army bomb squad. The tower transmits electricity from Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited’s Lakwa Thermal Power Station (LTPS) at Maibella. The police suspect ULFA anti-talk faction had caused the explosion to threaten the pro-talk faction of the outfit chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who hails from the area. 5

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