Pre-poll 'feast' leads to scuffle
Source: The Sangai Express
Thoubal, September 07 2016:
In what could be taken as the first poll related scuffle reported ahead of the State Assembly election likely to be held in the early part of 2017, an altercation between the supporters of an MLA and an aspiring candidate broke out at Thoubal Haokha Maning Leikai under Wangkhem AC in Thoubal district today.
It is said that a feast was hosted at the residence of one Tensubam Mohon of the locality today.
Even as the invitees were about to have lunch, a group of people suddenly came there and vandalized utensils and other materials.
They also not only allegedly disrupted the feast but also manhandled Mohon's family members.
A woman told this Correspondent at the feast venue that the function was not an election related feast but a simple lunch organised by 42 women in jubilation of MLA K Meghachandra's assurance of encashing funds for the construction of drains of Ward No 12 .
She said that supporters of aspiring candidate and former UCM president Yumnam Nabachandra allegedly vandalized utensils and disrupted the lunch.
The womenfolk later raised slogans against the former UCM president and his supporters.
In protest against the incident, a public meeting was held at Haokha Maning Leikai Heibimakhong Lampak later in the evening with MLA K Meghachandra himself attending the meeting.
In the meantime, another group of people came there and disrupted the meeting by shouting slogans like 'stop organising election feasts' and 'conclude the public meeting' .
As the situation became tense, a team of Thoubal district police arrived there and controlled the crowd and escorted MLA K Meghachandra to safety.