BJP, Cong yet to name official candidates, speculations fly thick and fast
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 21 2024: Even though election notification has been issued for both Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, neither the ruling BJP nor the Opposition Congress has made any official announcement on their candidates.

Except for CPI's L Sotinkumar and NPF's Kachui Timothy Zimik, no other party has officially announced its candidate for the two Lok Sabha seats of Manipur which would go to polls on April 19 and April 26 .

While L Sotinkumar would contest the election in Inner Manipur PC, Kachui Timothy Zimik would fight in the Outer Manipur PC.

Nonetheless, sources informed that Indian National Congress (INC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may announce their candidates for both the Lok Sabha seats on Friday.

BJP, Cong yet to name official candidates, speculations fly thick and fast

Though no official announcement has been made as yet, INC is most likely to field Alfred Kangam Arthur in Outer Manipur PC as no other names were forwarded to the AICC by MPCC.

Alfred Kangam Arthur has already started informal election rallies in Ukhrul.

Although a number of aspiring candidates applied for INC ticket in Inner Manipur PC, JNU Delhi Associate Professor Bimol Akoijam is said to be the frontrunner for the INC ticket, said the sources.

Even though the constituent parties of INDIA bloc favour a common candidate, there is no consensus on a common candidate within the alliance at least in Inner Manipur PC as CPI has already named Laishram Sotinkumar as its candidate.

While INC and CPI are poised for friendly contest in Inner Manipur PC, there are reports of other alliance partners exerting strong pressure to field a common candidate, said the sources.

However CPI has not said anything on whether it would withdraw its candidate or not.

Whether CPI withdraws its candidate or not, INC is determined to field its candidate.

Some Congress leaders, requesting anonymity, said that the party has already identified its candidates for both Inner Manipur PC and Outer Manipur PC although they are yet to be announced officially.

Even though BJP Manipur Pradesh has already forwarded names of four aspiring candidates, the BJP Central election committee has not made any official announcement till date.

It is not yet clear whether the BJP Central election committee would choose the party's candidates from amongst the names forwarded by the State BJP or someone outside the list.

Well placed sources informed that the potentials of two individuals are being studied minutely at Delhi.

One of them is retired Lt General Konsam Himalay.

The other is not a BJP member nor related to the party.

Incidentally, the Chief Minister was also projected as a potential candidate in Inner Manipur PC by some quarters.

The four individuals whose names were forwarded by the State BJP for party ticket included BJP Manipur Pradesh president A Sharda, Lok Sabha Member Dr RK Ranjan, Rajya Sabha Member Leishemba Sanajaoba and a key political figure.

Although two names have been put in the spotlight for the party ticket in Inner Manipur PC, the BJP Central election committee has been deliberating intensively with regard to the Outer Manipur PC.

There was even a proposal of supporting the NPF candidate instead of putting up any BJP candidate.

Notably, BJP and NPF are partners of the ruling coalition, and the latter has already named Timothy Zimik as its candidate.

BJP Central has also been studying another option of fielding a candidate from amongst the Zeliangrong community.

Even though it is said that the Kuki-Zo communities have not been talking much about the Lok Sabha elections, the Kuki-Zo commu- nities have been working to field only one candidate.

The sources however refused to divulge the name of the proposed lone candidate of Kuki-Zo commu- nities.

Nonetheless, it is being speculated that the pro- posed candidate may be one who fought the Lok Sabha elections earlier in Outer Manipur PC and served as the Manipur unit president of a National party.

In view of the protracted violent conflict which erupted on May 3 last year, Kuki-Zo communities are not expecting votes from the Meitei voters of Assembly segments clubbed under Outer Manipur PC in favour of their candidates.

As such, they have been planning to fight the Naga candidate(s) by fielding a lone candidate, the sources said.

Earlier, well known Congress leader Dr Lamtinthang of Kangpokpi was projected as the lone candidate of Kuki-Zo communities but these days another man has taken his place.

The man who is being speculated as the possible lone candidate of Kuki-Zo communities may fight the Lok Sabha election on Kuki People's Alliance (KPA) ticket, the sources added.