Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 19:
With Chief Minister O Ibobi returning from Delhi today, the Congress has set the ball rolling for naming the common candidate of the SPF in the upcoming Konthoujam by election and the name of Dr Sapam Budhichandra is doing the round as the likely candidate.
On the other hand, the Nationalist Congress Party has also decided to field its candidate in the up coming polls and the candidate's name is most likely to be announced officially within a day or two, informed State unit president V Hangkhanlian who arrived from Delhi today.
The Chief Minister air dashed to Delhi on September 15 to hold talks with the AICC high command to finalize the name of the consensus candidate for the upcoming polls.
Though the name of Budhichandra is doing the round as the most likely to get the Congress' ticket, the party is yet to officially announce his name till late this evening.
Sources said that the Congress may officially announce the name of the consensus candidate after key members of the MPCC (I) hold a meeting tomorrow at 9.30 am.
Highly placed sources from Congress Bhawan said that Budhichandra is likely to get the nod as the party's consensus candidate.
Budhichandra contested the last Assembly election in Konthoujam Assembly Constituency as a Congress candidate securing 4027 votes to be placed fourth.
The NCP is also set to field its candidate in the by election, informed its State unit president V Hangkhanlian, who returned from Delhi today.
Speaking to The Sangai Express Hangkhanlian said the party's high command has not recommended any name as the party's candidate till date.
The State unit president however said that they expect the high command to give the formal nod tomorrow evening.
Once the nod is received then the name of the party's candidate will be officially announced, added Hangkhanlian.
To a question on the prospect of former Minister Heikrujam Thoithoi being given the party's ticket, Hangkhanlian said that the odds are in his favour as Thoithoi had earlier contested the election on the party's ticket.
However as there are a number of ticket aspirants for the upcoming by election, a final decision can only be taken by the party's high command, further said Hangkhanlian.
Thoithoi secured only 326 votes in the last election.