Performance in the past or something else : Tried and tested or tired and wasted
- Sangai Express Editorial :: March 10, 2014 -

Tried and tested. That is what Dr T Meinya from the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and Thangso Baite from the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency are all about.

The interesting question is whether their performance in the past, ten years in the case of Dr T Meinya and five years in the case of Thangso Baite, will count or not when the voters turn out to punch on the EVMs, come polling days.

Or will it be a case of the State Congress juggernaut coming out in full steam with the two candidates riding on the power house of a political party, which the Congress is, at least in Manipur.

In naming Dr T Meinya and Thangso Baite as its candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats, the high command of the Congress party is obviously satisfied with their performances in the past but will it cut ice with the public is a matter of speculation.

Stability, this is one term which the State Congress party is sure to trump while wooing the voters besides brusquely brushing aside the NaMo wave that is definitely sweeping across some parts of the country.

But will the slogan of stability be able to withstand the slew of corruption charges which the Opposition, particularly the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and BJP across the country, have levelled against the Congress remains to be seen. But then again corruption has never been central to any election in the State, so far.

Everyone talks about it, but yet no one really does something about it.

For that matter corruption need not be seen only through the prism of the political leaders or the Babudom but should encompass society as a whole.

The recent leak of the Physics paper for the CBSE conducted Class XII examination is a case in point.

A damning statement that parents and guardians, who are supposed to be moral guides for their children will not hesitate to cross the rubicon when it comes to benefitting their children through any means.

There are examples galore, so when it comes to corruption it is not only political organisations but also the public which have to be held accountable.

Coming back to the decision of the Congress party to fall back on the incumbent MPs, there must be other reasons than mere performances.

In the hills, where there is a deep polarisation between the two major tribes and with the BJP already naming a Naga as its candidate and with the Naga Peoples’ Front too still looking for a suitable candidate, it makes political sense to nominate a candidate whose vote bank, according to ethnicity may not be disturbed.

There is of course Kim Gangte from the Trinamool Congress and while it would be foolish and pre-mature to predict her performance, the fact is that the Trinamool is a late entrant in the electoral politics of Manipur, never the mind the fact that it is the second largest party in the State Assembly after the Congress. On the other hand, none of the TC MLAs are from the hills.

All factors which may come into play when the voters make up their mind.

In the Inner seat, the Congress has a veteran in Dr T Meinya having represented Manipur two consecutive terms. So what is his card going to be ?

As said before, stability as a slogan will be used, but will he be able to sell his performances in the last two terms to the voters, this time round ?

It is still not clear whether any of the high profile Congress leaders, with a pan India appeal will make an appearance here to woo the voters, but the battle lines have already been draw up now and it is only the NPF which is yet to throw its hat into the ring, though it has on more than one occasion made it clear that it is still on the look out for a suitable candidate.