Upbeat results before the 2017 polls Dy CM : Graceful in defeat
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 26 2015 -

Graceful in defeat. A point which was underlined so succinctly by Deputy Chief Minister and president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, Gaikhangam hours after the results of the by election to two Assembly Constituencies were announced on September 24.

Something which was in direct contrast to the ugly developments at Thongju Assembly Constituency wherein eight people were injured in post poll violence. This is shameful and not tolerable.

This is what makes the stand of Gaikhangam all that more appealing.

The sage advice to the two elected BJP MLAs to discharge their functions as elected representatives of the people stood head and shoulder above the petty politicking that is visible all over the place.

No BJP wave. This is the stand that the Deputy Chief Minister sought to convey and whether one agrees with this observation or not, what is clear is the point that the Congress is indeed wary about the BJP and this is something which the BJP would not have missed.

With 48 MLAs in the House of 60, the loss of the Congress candidates in the by election will not have much of an impact on the Government and the Deputy Chief Minister may be referring to this point, when he said that the outcome of the by polls is neither a loss nor a gain for the Congress.

Coming from the State unit president of the Congress, this should not surprise anyone, but it is encouraging to note that the Deputy Chief Minister had it in him to say that the two newly elected BJP MLAs should discharge their duties as responsible members of the Opposition.

It is early days yet but it is encouraging to note that Gaikhangam has managed to take the resounding defeats of the Congress candidates in his stride.

How the two new BJP MLAs function in the remaining period of the current term will be interesting to note, for remember the State will be going for the Assembly election in the early part of 2017.

This is precisely the reason why the State unit of the BJP has taken the by polls victory as some sort of a precursor of things to come some months hence.

It is however important to study whether the voters backed Kh Joykishan and Th Bishwajit because they were BJP candidates or otherwise.

Were there any meaningful debates between the Congress and the BJP on the ideology of each other ?

Did Gaikhangam have a point when he observed that the two won, not because they were BJP candidates, but on the strength of their personal charisma ?

Difficult to say which way the dice will roll, but it is significant that the BJP has made its debut in the Assembly this time.

Carrying on from the excellent showing of the party in the 2014 Parliamentary election and the interesting question is whether the BJP will be able to carry this when the Assembly election comes in 2017.