2022 polls: Different dilemmas for ruling and opposition parties
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 04, 2021 -

EVEN if it is unlikely that the upcoming Manipur Legislative Assembly election would be a cakewalk for the ruling BJP, stopping the saffron party from retaining power will definitely be a difficult task for the political rivals.

In the 2017 assembly elections, BJP had won only 21 out of 60 seats in Manipur but went on to form the government for the first time in the state, amid outcries from the Congress party, with the support of independent legislators and regional parties.

Thus, it is obvious that BJP would be eager to cement its position by securing as much seats as possible to form a government on its own this time. BJP's main contest would most probably be with the Congress party though the latter has lost its sheen significantly due to frequent exodus of MLAs and party leaders.

Interestingly, at this juncture, the opposition parties might be united in trying to demonstrate that whatever policies and programmes the BJP governments at the centre and in the state had implemented are anti-people and corporate-centric.

However, the same spirit of wholeness cannot be guaranteed as the election date nears for the very essence of existence of political parties is to seek the people's mandate and it is unperceivable that the opposition parties would forego cliquish interests and field consensus candidates.

With the Congress, which has been the main opposition in the state, seeing exodus of some of its political heavyweights to the arch rival BJP in the past few years, coupled with indecision within India's grand old party over who should lead the organisation at the national level, it is obvious that the BJP would relish such lack of unanimity.

Apart from the seemingly delusionary state of the Congress, which is evident from on-going berating among the party's top functionaries over the political slugfest in Punjab, absence of political integrity among Manipur's political class could be gauged from significant number of sitting Congress legislators consistently shifting allegiance ever since it was outmanoeuvred by the BjP in the race to form the government after the 2017 assembly elections.

Back then, BJP lacked grassroots base in Manipur and largely comprised leaders who have defected from the Congress.

But the political equation is quite different in the run-up to the 2022 polls with the Congress focusing on keeping its house in order compared to the BjP's only dilemma being who to allot the ticket from among the large pool of intending candidates.

On its part, the ruling BJP is certain to leave no stone unturned to maintain its grip in the state as could be comprehended from the frequent visits by party's central leaders to oversee organisational issues, exhort party workers to reach out to the adult franchisees and shortlist potential winners.

Top rung leaders discussing issues confronting the state with chief minister N Biren, party's state chief A Sharda and minister Th Biswajit in New Delhi on Friday also sums up firm resolve of the party not to cede any ground to the opposition parties or even its allies.

Like all past elections, the campaigning for the upcoming five-yearly democratic exercise too will be largely made up of accusations and counter-accusations over varied issues, but it could be safely stated that the BJP holding the rein of power at the centre would be the decisive factor for the party to prolong its hold in the state.