Imphal, March 19: Some senior leaders of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) are making hectic effort to foil the, understanding reached between Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar for the Congress party to support the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate in the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, alleged NCP nominee Holkhomang Haokip.

Talking to The Sangai' Express from New Delhi, the sitting MP said as agreed between the Congress and NCP leaders the Congress ought to have left the Outer turf free to him as the NCP had already decided to field him.

However, due to pressure exerted by some MPCC leaders on Sonia Gandhi to review the decision and endorse the nomination of a Congress candidate for a friendly contest in the Outer seat, uncertainty on common candidate prevails till today, charged Holkhomang.

He also charged that MPCC President and Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh after initially approving the Congress high command instruction to support the NCP candidate has changed his mind due to internal pressure.

Holkhomang further accused the MPCC leaders of pursuing narrow political ends instead of taking the election matter seriously and extend support to him in the overall interest of the State.

Nevertheless, in case AICC high command instructs the Congress party to support NCP candidate the party would have to comply, the leader said while adding that by tomorrow a definite decision of the AICC would be conveyed.

Meanwhile, CPI State Secretary B Sharma said an executive meeting will be held to discuss on steps to be pursued in case Congress support NCP candidate in the Outer while there will be friendly contest between candidates of the ruling front for the Inner seat.

Expressing that friendly contest between CPI and Congress candidates for the Inner seat is most certain, B Sharma said CPI is keeping a close tap on development between NCP and Congress even though the understanding is yet to be formally declared.

Steering Committee meeting: The SPF Steering Committee meeting will be held on March 22 to deliberate on poll campaign for candidates of both the ruling partners - CPI and Congress.

To be presided by O Ibobi Singh the meeting is likely to divulge on code of conduct between the two parties to avoid mud-slinging during election campaigns.

Informing that party leader Sharad Pawar will be consulted to discuss on the consensus candidature impasse and chalk out measures to tide over the issue, he also exuded confidence that the aspiring Congress candidate will withdraw from the fray to support him.

It is pertinent to mention that following the Congress-NCP alliance at the national level Congress nominees for the two Manipur Parliamentary constituencies could not be announced till date even though the Sharad Pawar had already declared Holkhomang Haokip as NCP nominee for the Outer seat.

On the other hand, a prominent Congress leader denied allegations of Holkhomang Haokip that Congress party is trying to undermine the Sonia Gandhi-Sharad Pawar agreement.

Terming the allegation as baseless, the Congress leader said supporting the NCP nominee would be akin to sacrificing a win situation by the Congress for which the MPCC is favoring friendly contest.