NEW DELHI – India’s election authorities have directed officials to conduct voting again at several polling places in the troubled north-eastern state of Manipur, after armed assailants attacked polling stations and captured voting booths despite the presence of dozens of para-military soldiers.

The state of Manipur has endured ethnic conflict for months after a dispute erupted over who gets to claim a tribal status that grants extra privileges such as preferential treatment in seeking government jobs.

The conflict, which began last May, has essentially split the region, home to about three million people, pitting two ethnic groups against each other – the mostly Hindu Meiteis, who form a narrow majority, and members of Christian hill tribes known as Kukis. More than 200 people from both sides have been killed. Thousands have been internally displaced and still fear returning to places they once called home, seeking refuge in squalid camps.

The Election Commission of India said on April 20 that voting would be conducted again on April 22 at 11 polling stations where voting had been held on April 19.

The order came after the region’s top election commissioner wrote to his agency describing mob violence, gunfire, damage to electronic voting machines and bogus voters entering the booths.

Video footage from the Inner Manipur constituency, one of the two seats in the state for the Lower House of Parliament, showed mobs raiding a polling station and breaking electronic voting machines.

At another station, members of an armed gang were seen threatening voters. One person was also injured by gunfire.

Tens of thousands of soldiers have been deployed to prevent violence in different parts of the country, as the voting continues until June 1 to elect the country’s next prime minister. Local residents in Manipur said soldiers had tried to keep order but were overpowered by people, mostly women, who rushed into the voting booths, and intimidated by the presence of armed assailants.

Members of opposition political groups say the problems were not confined to the 11 polling places that will get a do-over, and are calling for new voting in more than 45 polling booths in 12 areas of Manipur.

Across India, the first phase of voting took place on April 19 in 102 parliamentary seats, but six phases still remain, with results to be announced on June 4. NYTIMES