Senior Citizens for Society (SCS) calls for a fair poll MPTC derides JD(U), CPI(M)
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 05, 2011:
Amidst the heating up election fever of the February 14 bye-election to the Konthoujam AC, the Senior Citizens for Society (SCS) today called for a free and fair election.
In a press conference, SCS president N Binoy appealed to the electors not to take bribes and the candidates not to use money power.
He observed that the election is merely to elect a man who will be representing the people of Konthoujam AC for the remaining eight months of the present term of the state assembly.
Politicians instead of campaigning with their habitual propaganda and false promises, should leave the electors to use their franchise freely, Binoy asserted.
He further reminded that the root cause of the rise of corrupt politicians is because voters accept bribes at the time of election.
Taking part in the press conference, SCS general secretary, L Sadananda recalled that in the recently conducted elections to the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayat, voters were paid as much as ` 2000 and said this is not a good sign.
People have a great role in ending the bribe culture, he added.
On the other hand, Manipur Pradesh Trinamool Congress is worried that the Janata Dal (U) and the CPI(M) have announced their support to the independent candidate, Khangembam Ranjit.
Barely a day after the announcement, MPTC president Kim Gangte termed the decisions of the two parties as an indirect support to the Congress candidate.
"We think that the JD (U) and the CPI(M) do not want to bring a change in the state.
That is why they are indirectly supporting the Congress candidate,".
Kim told reporters in another press briefing in the party office at Hotel Excellency.
She said that her party fielded Konthoujam Sarat in the fray with the objective of defeating the Congress candidate and this needs the support of other parties.
She also charged that the two parties have no vote banks in the constituency.
MPTC candidate K Sarat who also took part in the press briefing asserted that Ranjit filed his candidature as an independent candidate after he could not get the Congress ticket.