Congress accuses Trinamool Congress of mapping pre-poll pact with NPF
Kim denies MPCC chief fires integrity salvo
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 25, 2012: Firing salvos at rival political parties from the shoulder of the territorial integrity of Manipur, MPCC president Gaikhangam has today asserted that the Nagaland based Naga People's Front is trying to make forays into the State Assembly with the sole agenda of breaking up the State.

The All India Trinamool Congress on the other hand has struck a pre-poll alliance with such a political party, he claimed.

The Trinamool Congress has however debunked the charges of Gaikhangam and dubbed it nothing less than an attempt to deceive the public with rhetoric.

Speaking to reporters at Congress Bhawan, Gaikhangam said that there is nothing new in the NPF and dubbed it 'old wine in new bottle'.

Elaborating, he said that in the last election, the United Naga Council with the active backing of the NSCN (IM) sponsored their own candidates and managed to send 7/8 candidates to the Assembly.

However the agenda of the UNC sponsored candidates was defeated squarely by the Congress with the active support of the people, he claimed.

This time around, some Opposition parties have reached a tacit understanding with the NPF and struck pre-poll pacts with it, claimed Gaikhangam and appealed to the people to be wary of such parties, which are guided by their designs to compromise with the territorial integrity of Manipur.

Underlining the basis of his charges, Gaikhangam said that it has only been the Congress which came out against the style of campaigning launched by NPF leader and Chief Minister of Nagaland Nephiu Rio.

No other political party raised a single voice against Rio's campaign and his design to dismember the territory of Manipur, he asserted.

The silence of the other political parties is indicative of a pre-poll alliance with the NPF, he added.

Answering queries from the media persons, Chief Minister O Ibobi who was also present at the press conference said that a pre-poll pact has been lined up between the NPF and the Trinamool Congress.

In the hill areas, the NPF has come to a tacit understanding with the Trinamool Congress, claimed Ibobi and urged the people to be wary of not only the NPF but also the Trinamool.

The Chief Minister further said that it is only the Congress which has been banned by the CorCom and observed that the NPF and other political parties which have struck alliances with it are not banned.

The Chief Minister wondered what the objectives of CorCom are.

However the Manipur Pradesh Trinamool Congress president, Kim Gangte has rubbished the claims of the Congress.

Talking to media persons, she said that the TC is a principled party and added that it has not struck any pre-poll alliance with any other political party.

The election manifesto of the Trinamool has been released for the people of Manipur to go through, she said.

If there is any such pre-poll pact, why are supporters and workers of Trinamool Congress being threatened and harassed by NPF supporters, she countered.

The Congress is trying to befool and mislead the people, said Kim and asserted that such a ploy would not succeed.

The Trinamool Congress will go along with like minded political parties after the election in consultation with the high command to ensure communal harmony and peace, she added.

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