Imphal, December 11: Former MP of Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and ex-Minister Holkhomang Haokip has resigned from the NCP and joined the Samajwadi Party.

Holkhomang will be contesting in the forthcoming 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly election as a candidate of Samajwadi Party from 59 Saikot Assembly Constituency.

Announcing the joining of Holkhomang to Samajwadi Party during a press conference at the State unit party office at Keishampat here today, president Dr Sapam Dhananjoy said preparations are being made to field not less than 30 candidates of the party in the forthcoming Assembly election in both the hill and valley area.

Ridiculing the claim of the Congress party that it would secure absolute majority in the election, Dr Dhananjoy noted that the leader of the Congress led SPF Government, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, is still uncertain whether he would contest the election from Khangabok Assembly Constituency or from Thoubal Assembly Constituency.

There is also no guarantee that Ibobi would be re-elected, he said.

Dr Dhananjoy, who is also a former Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, predicted that Congress will not win more than two seats from the hills constituencies as the position of the party is not firm there while in the valley it is unlikely that it would win more than 7 to 8 seats.

He further said that the booklet issued by the Government highlighting its achievements was rather amusing.

The law and order condition is at its worst apart from the failure of taking up many developmental works during the Chief Ministership of Ibobi, he charged, adding that the Government has also been not sincere in its attempt to solve the problem of insurgency.

Where is the financial stability that Ibobi talks about when the State Government has incurred a debt amount of Rs 2421 crores till March this year, he countered.

Speaking on the prospect of his party in the election, Dr Dhananjoy said if Samajwadi is able to form the next Government it would introduce the Inner Line Permit System and remove Restricted Area Permit and Sadar Hills and Jiribam would be upgraded to full-fledged revenue districts on the same day itself.

Central leader of the party have also been urged for exerting pressures for taking up the issue of removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and protection of the integrity of Manipur in the Parliament, he added.

Holkhomang Haokip who was also present during the press conference said he would try his best to strengthen the base of Samajwadi Party in Manipur and contest in the forthcoming election from Saikot Assembly Constituency.