Imphal, March 30 2009: Manipur pe0ple's party's candidate for the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, Th Chaoba has earnestly appealed to the electorate of Manipur to come out in huge mass and exercise their franchise on the days of polling "since nothing but votes can save Manipur" .

Addressing a press conference at the office of MPP here this evening, Chaoba said that it was Congress party which celebrated the merger of Manipur to Indian union with Thabal Chongba.

Today the people of Manipur are getting the painful impact of that celebration, he said.

AFSPA was also brought into the state by Congress, Chaoba said and added that unable to bear the pains of the draconian law, Irom Chanu Sharmila had launched the fast agitation almost nine years back and is still continuing.

Lamenting over the relentless killings of so-called insurgents by the security forces, specially by the Manipur police commandos, Chaoba said, in order to bring a new change in all these happenings, it is necessary that the people should massively cast their votes.

A black man called Barak Obama has been able to sit in the White House today, Chaoba said.

It was due to the votes cast by the voters that a black representative, Barak Obama could sit in the White House.

If a new change in the administration of Manipur is to be brought about, it is the votes only.

Nothing else can bring a new change.

All the sufferings and miseries are caused by votes, Chaoba said.

Regarding corruption, Chaoba said, the rate of corruption in Manipur is terribly high.

Due to corruption all these factors of worsening law and order situation, scarcity of power and drinking water, worst condition of road communication, etc came about.

Even though the Centre has sanctioned a huge amount of funds to the SPF government, a large chunk of the funds had been siphoned off without translating the schemes into work, the MPP candidate alleged.

He further alleged that the government has almost forgotten to revoke curfew.

While the price of a kg of rice in West Bengal is Rs 3 and in UP Re 1, the same in Manipur is Rs 22.The government has failed to complete the work for widening the road from the gate of the CM's bungalow upto Singjamei.

During the past 20 days, there had been a lot of changes in the political scenario in the state, the veteran politician pointed out and added that in such a scenario, it was felt that the regional party must at any cost win the election.

That is how after very careful and intense discussions within the party, the assignment to contest the election was given to him by the party.

Having considered the interest of the party more seriously than his own, he accepted the party's assignment.

The step was taken after discussions in which Prof Mohendro himself took part, Chaoba explained.

He further explained that the new change in the political strategy was necessitated by the facts that Prof Mohendro turns out to be hailing from a locality neighbouring that of Congress candidate T Meinya, candidature of Dr M Nara who happens to be from the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, etc.

There are a number of qualified persons in the party who can contest the election.

However, since the election is so near, the party felt that it was he (Chaoba) that the party would not find it difficult to introduce to the electorate.

That's how the party handed over the assignment to him, he said.

He said, it's not the time for the people to have faith in the national parties which think of India first and of Manipur later.

It's time to hand over power to the regional party which has been grown out of our own soil.

In order to save youths from being killed, to usher peace and prosperity in Manipur, the electorate need to come out and cast votes massively, Chaoba appealed.

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