Hectic political activities in Manipur ahead of vote counting

Imphal, March 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) A day before the counting of votes to the two-phase Manipur assembly elections, held on February 28 and March 5, hectic political activities were seen on Wednesday in the BJP-ruled northeastern state.

A five-member high-level Congress delegation led by party General Secretary Mukul Wasnik, BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra and five Janata Dal-United MPs are camping in Imphal to keep a close vigil of the vote counting process on Thursday, and to take immediate decisions as the situation progresses.

The AICC delegation, which also includes Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singhdeo, Lok Sabha Member from Meghalaya Vincent Pala, party leader Imran Kidwai, held a series of meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday with Congress's Manipur in-charge Bhakta Charan Das, Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh, state Congress President N. Loken Singh and working President Irengbam Hemochandra Singh.

JD-U General Secretary and party's northeast region in-charge Afaque Ahmed Khan said that five of party MPs are camping in Imphal to keep vigil of the vote counting process and would take appropriate steps as and whe the situation dictates. Irengbam Hemochandra Singh said that this time the central and state leaders are very serious to deal with the situation before and during the counting of votes and to prevent any misdeed by the BJP.

"Last time (in 2017), despite the Congress becoming the single largest party by securing 28 out of the 60 seats, the BJP through horse trading and with the help of Raj Bhavan formed the government by winning 21 seats on its (BJP) own. This time we would not allow such wrongdoings," the Congress leader said.

Before the two phase assembly elections, all the Congress party candidates were made to swear in the name of God not to switch sides if they win in the election.

Central Minister Pratima Bhowmik, who is BJP's one of the central observers for Manipur, while talking to IANS said that her party is coming back to power with absolute majority and there is no doubt on this.

The leaders of the National People's Party (NPP), BJP's estranged ally, and Janata Dal (United), are also claiming that they would play a vital role in government formation.

The two parties fielded 38 candidates each this time.

NPP general secretary for Manipur, Sheikh Noorul Hassan, said that in the previous Assembly elections, the party had secured four seats, but this time it will bag more than 20 seats to become a formidable political force in Manipur.

Various exit polls on Monday, like previous elections in 2017, predicted fractured mandate in the elections.

Manipur witnessed a hung Assembly in the previous polls in 2017, and this time too, most of the exit polls' predictions indicate another hung house.

The BJP had secured 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly in the last polls in 2017 and wrested power for the first time after stitching together a coalition government with the support of four NPP MLAs, four Naga People's Front (NPF) members, the lone Trinamool Congress MLA and an Independent member.

However, this time the BJP, NPP and NPF are contesting separately and have fielded candidates against each other.

Congress, which governed the state for 15 consecutive years (2002-2017) and emerged as the single largest party by securing 28 seats in 2017, this time formed a Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance (MPSA) after forging a pre-poll alliance with four Left parties and Janata Dal-Secular.

The Congress has fielded 53 candidates out of the 60 seats and the political circles observed that the party considering the post poll alliance has supported the candidates of NPP and other parties in the elections.

Meanwhile, the election official in Imphal said that the counting of votes would be taken up at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning in 41 counting halls set up in various districts and sub-divisional headquarters.

"The District Election Officials and Superintendent of Police in each district have been directed to make elaborate security arrangements for counting including a minimum of three tier security consisting of Central Armed Police Force and the state police. The entire process of counting in addition to the Returning Officer, would also be supervised by the 41 General Observers appointed by the Election Commission," Manipur Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agrawal told the media.

Source: IANS