ECI guidelines likely to discourage visit of political leaders
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 13, 2012:
In the light of strict guidelines issued by Election Commission of India (ECI), the number of leaders of National political parties visiting Manipur for election campaign is likely to be affected this time, according to leaders of various state units.
In the ensuing elections to the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly slated for January 28, Congress party has fielded candidates in all the 60 Assembly seats, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 19 seats, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and CPI in 23 seats each, CPI (M) in two seats, Janata Dal (Unitd) in five seats and Trinamool Congress in 47 seats.
Although other regional parties are also in the fray, it is normally the visit of leaders of various National parties for campaigning that gives the election flavor in the state.
But following the strict guidelines of ECI that the expenditure related to the visit of National leaders who participated in the election campaign would be accounted with the election expenses of the respective party candidates, the state units have discouraged the National leaders from visiting until and unless it is of some urgent matters.
Sources in Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), which is contesting for all the 60 Assembly seats, said that so far which National leaders of Congress party would be coming to campaign for party candidates has not yet been confirmed nor finalised.
On the other hand, although many National leaders of BJP have expressed their willingness to come and campaign for the party candidates, BJP Manipur Pradesh is learnt to have discouraged them from coming.
Nonetheless, President of BJP All India Mahila Morcha Smriti Irani, National President Nitin Gadkari and National Vice President Najma Heptullah are expected to arrive here for election campaign of the party on January 19, 20 and 23 respectively.
Mamata Banerjee, the National President of Trinamool Congress, which is fielding the highest number of candidates in the election after Congress party, is also expected to visit Manipur for election campaign.
For the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), it has been already announced that its National General Secretary PA Sangma would be coming to Imphal on January 15. Ex-MP and Polit Bureau Member of CPI (M) Brinda Karat is also scheduled to visit Imphal tomorrow to campaign for the party candidates.