Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 06:
The stage is now set for the big fight between the Congress and the MPP in the Khangabok by-election and between the Congress and CPI, both partners of the SPF Government in the by-election to the Khundrakpam AC which are scheduled to be held on June 2.Although there has never been two opinions on fielding Landhoni, the wife of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh as Congress candidate for the Khangabok by-election, after several rounds of discussion, the MPP has finally decided to pitch L Jatra, who contested and stood second position in the last Assembly election, against the Congress candidate in the by-election.
Whether L Jatra should be given the party ticket to contest in the by-election or another candidate should be selected has been a nagging concern of the party for long.
The decision to field Jatra once again was arrived at during a meeting of the party's Ticket Committee with party president Dr L Chandramani in the chair at MPP office here this evening.
There is also the possibility that NCP and BJP may support the MPP candidate in the Khangabok by-election.
In the last election to the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly, these two parties did not field their candidates in this constituency.
A joint meeting of the MPP and the NCP is also likely to be held tomorrow to discuss the possibility of bringing out a common candidate to contest in the by-election to the Khundrakpam AC.
In the ruling front, while RJD, which is partner of the SPF Government, has declared that it would support the Congress in the Khangabok and Khundrakpam by-elections, CPI, another Government partner, which is preparing to contest in the Khundrakpam by-election and not the Khangabok by-election, is yet to make its stand clear on which party would be supported in the Khangabok by-election.
Meanwhile, with difficulty in deciding who should be fielded as the party candidate in the Khundrakpam by-election, it is said that the Congress party is mulling over inviting applications from all the aspirants in this regard.
According to information received by the press, applications for issuing party tickets to contest in the by-election as Congress candidate have already been received from five aspirants including K Tomba, who contested as party candidate in the last Assembly election.
Though the by-election to the Khundrakpam Assembly Constituency has been necessitated following the sudden demise of Th Navakumar who was elected on NCP ticket in the last Assembly election, none of the family members of the late MLA have approached the party for contesting in the election as NCP candidate.
However, there is report that they are after the ticket of some other political parties, according to party sources.
As for the SPF partner, CPI, it has decided to field L Premchand, who was the party candidate and came second in the last Assembly election, for the Khundrakpam by-election again.
A meeting of the State Election Committee of the party is scheduled to be held tomorrow to discuss and chart out the political strategies to be adopted for winning the by-election.