Lamka, April 04 2009: Two days after Rahul Gandhi pitched for his sake in his home town, Congress candidate for Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency Thangso Baite today made his first public address here with the promise of upholding equality and promoting fraternal bond amongst various communities of the state.

Receiving divine blessings from a Pastor in his residence moments after hoisting the party flag, Thangso Baite in his address to the public pledged to do 'something big' for the district.

As for Thoubal, he expressed his inalienable connection and for the rest of the state, he said, 'I will uphold the equality and fraternity of every citizen' amongst the very sensitive multi-colour communities.

The public rally today was the first after Rahul Gandhi made a forty-minute stop over here on Thursday, for the congress party and was attended by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, Assembly Speaker Budhichandra, sitting MP and congress candidate for the inner seat T Meinya, Power Minister T Phungzathang, PHE Minister TN Haokip, Works Minister K Ranjit, TD Minister D Thaisii, six congress MLAs from Thoubal district, former Ministers Francis Ngajokpa, D Kourungthang, A Aja, Dr Chaltonlien Amo, Radhakishore and the son of former Chief Minister Rishang Keishing � Victor Keishing.

Chief Minister Ibobi in his speech maintained that the state congress party is united despite the initial in-fight for party tickets.

'We are one and solidly believe in our candidate,' he said.

Expecting at the least 1,50,000 votes for Thangso Baite from the eight segments of Thoubal and Jiribam, Ibobi said people of Churachandpur should feel privileged that people from outside the district approached them with such a number to get someone from the district elected.

He also called upon the armed group not to interfere in the poll process.

'Please don't disturb.

Free Oihanbiro,' he pleaded.

Claiming that the congress party stands for peace and development, the Chief Minister articulated the SoO signed by the UPF and KNO along with the Centre and the state government.

We are pressing for an urgent solution to the centre so that the light of peace and development will reach the people as was the case in Mizoram, he said.

He also talked about the much admired NREGS.

'It was the congress party, who give you this job-card,' he summed up.

Power Minister and in-charge of the district T Phungzathang, cautioned that the era of Job Cards may end if the congress party do not come to power at New Delhi.

Kourungthang from Chandel, Victor Keishing from Ukhrul and Thaisii from Senapati pledged their loyalty and the loyalty of their workers for Thangso, but Works Minister K Ranjit went further ahead.

'The other candidates from the district should not dream of being elected even in the wildest of his dream,' he said apparently in reference to LB Sona, the other contender from the district.

'Why take trouble to vote someone that has no chance,' he said.

In Thoubal one of the seven segments is held by CPI (M) and the remaining by the congress party.

NCP has no share in any of them and same was case in the hill districts, Ranjit said adding, the fate of MPP was no different.

"Ranjit also came down heavily on sitting MP Mani Charenamei.

How many times he had visited Churachandpur and what has he done for the district," he posed.

A representative of people of Manipur but busy with the affairs, other than that of the people he represents, we should not be represented by this kind of people, he added.

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