IMPHAL, Feb 6 (Reuters) - An Indian woman who has been fasting for more than six years in protest against rights abuses was stopped from returning to her home state apparently due to fears she could influence polls there, an activist said on Tuesday.

Irom Sharmila began her fast in late 2000 after soldiers shot 10 young men at a bus stop in a small town in the revolt-torn northeastern state of Manipur and demanded the repeal of an anti-terrorism law that gives troops sweeping powers to kill suspected rebels and immunity from prosecution.

She moved her protest to New Delhi in October where she was arrested and force-fed through a nasal tube at a government hospital just like authorities in Manipur did since she launched her campaign.

"She wanted to return tomorrow morning and give impetus to the campaign against AFSPA," said Babloo Loitongbam, director of Manipur's Human Rights Alert, referring to the law called the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

"She felt that her presence here at the last minute could have been useful and given a moral swing to the campaign but Delhi police have stopped her from leaving until Feb. 24," he said.

Senior police officers in the capital said they were unaware that she had been stopped from leaving or refused to comment.

The AFSPA has taken centrestage in Manipur's state polls which votes in three stages on Feb. 8, 14 and 23.

Most political parties support a strong public demand for lifting what they call a draconian law and have made it the focus of their election strategy.

The 1958 law only applies in Kashmir and insurgency-affected northeastern India. Human rights groups say it has given the army licence to kill, torture and rape with impunity.

Sharmila, 34, has become an iconic figure for Manipuris and her return before polls could hurt India's ruling Congress party, which has also governed Manipur for the last five years, as it was seen to be non-committal on lifting AFSPA, analysts said.

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