Bijoy Kakchingtabam elected AMWJU president
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 02 2023:
Associate editor of the Poknapham daily Bijoy Kakchingtabam has been elected as the new president of All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) for the term 2023-25 in the election held at Manipur Press Club, here, on Monday.
Bijoy defeated Wangkhemcha Shamjai, editor in-chief of Kangleipakki Meira, by a margin of 100 votes.
Altogether, 311 votes were cast, out of the total 332 AMWJU members eligible for casting their votes, which shows a poll percentage of 93.67 per cent.
Bijoy secured 204 votes while Shamjai received 104 votes.
Three votes were found invalid in the election for the post of president.
At the same time, 10 candidates were in fray for the post of eight members of AMWJU Standing Committee.
Impact TV editor Raju (Raj) Nongthombam secured 247 votes, Poknapham senior reporter Sonia Sorensangbam 229 votes, Moirangthem Khagemba of Sanaleibak 207, Ngangbam Sanjoy of ISTV News 197, Beishamayum Sanjoy of Eikhogi Panthung 169, Athokpam Jiten of Sangai Express 157, Khagokpam Nabakumar of TOM TV 136, Priyo Achom of Morning Bell 130 votes and they got elected as members of AMWJU Standing Committee.
Birjit Ayekpam of Kangla Pao and Suraj Chanam of Kangleipakki Meira secured 97 and 64 votes respectively, and lost the election.
Four votes were found invalid.
Certificates for winning elections were handed over to the winning candidates by returning officer advocate Meihoubam Rakesh.
Earlier, in the morning, the annual general body meeting of AMWJU was held with president in-charge Laishram Pritam in the chair.
A one-minute silence was observed in respect of eight members of the union, who passed away in the last one year.
Interacting with the media, president elect Bijoy Kakchingtabam thanked the union members for their overwhelming support in the election.
He said that he could not do much for the welfare of journalists during his earlier term 2019-21 due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the threat of the pandemic, he renovated the Manipur Press Club building and installed the memorial stone of deceased journalists at the Club the complex.
He is happy that he will be able to take up several initiatives for the journalist community, which he could not do in his earlier term.
Mention may be made that Suraj Chanam of Kangleipakki Meira was added in the list of candidates for standing committee by the court of the RO following a complaint raised by the candidate.