GS Haupu wins Singngat AC as Chinlunthang withdraws
Source: The Sangai Express

CCpur, October 22 2020: Barely a day after passing through the scrutiny for by-election to Singngat AC, Independent candidate Chinlunthang today withdrew his nomination, ensuring the BJP candidate GS Haopu wins the seat without a fight.

Returning Officer of 60 Singngat AC Thangboi Gangte told The Sangai Express that he received the notice of withdrawal at about 11.20 am today from one of Chinlunthang's proposers.

He also talked to the candidate to confirm that the withdrawal notice was delivered with his knowledged and was done on his own volition, he said.

A BJP candidate in the last Assembly election, Chinlunthang filed his nomination as an Independent candidate as the sitting MLA GS Haopu, who is openly supporting the N Biren led Government despite being a Congress MLA was awarded the BJP ticket this time.

Haopu has resigned from the Assembly reportedly to avoid disqualification.

He was part of the group of MLAs taken to New Delhi by the Chief Minister to meet BJP leaders and inducted into the party fold.

Though several attempts were made to reach Chinlunthang to know the reason behind his withdrawal, it drew blank, as he has refused to meet reporters and did not return calls and messages.

Sources close to him however said the likelihood of a violent standoff between the two candidates could be one of the reasons for his withdrawal.

With Chinlunthang now no longer in the fray, GS Haopu has successfully reclaimed the seat he relinquished barely weeks ago.

Interestingly an official letter appointing Chinlunthang as an Officer on Special Duty in the Tribal Affairs and Hills Department has gone viral on the social media.

It is not clear whether the decision to withdraw his candidacy was in any connected to his earlier appointment as the OSD.

The appointment letter was dated September 24 .

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