BJP rolls up sleeves for LS election
Source: Chronicle News Service / Waari Singbul Network
Imphal, March 17 2024:
With the crucial Lok Sabha polls round the corner, the ruling BJP is all prepared to kick off canvasing for its nominees in conflict-hit Manipur as and when the party makes formal announcement of its candidates.
Manipur will vote in two phases - April 19 and 26 as the Election Commission had on Saturday announced.
The state has two LS seatsinner Manipur parliamentary constituency and the outer seat reserved for scheduled tribe.
The present MP of Inner Manipur seat is Rajkumar Ranjan Singh of the BJP, who also holds the MoS for external affairs, while Naga People's Front (NPF) MP Lorho S Pfoze represents the Outer constituency.
BJP Manipur vice president Nongthombam Nimbus Singh said that the party has already formed a state level election management committee to shoulder the overall task for the coming polls.
"The committee has 32 different departments with each entrusted to effectively implement the assigned tasks.
Besides the committee, all members of the party numbering over four lakhs have begun work at the booth level across the state," revealed Nimbus, who is also the chairman of Manipur Khadi and Village Industries Board.
Once the party's central parliamentary board in New Delhi announces the candidates for the state, the poll campaign will be rolled out for which everything is in place, continued Nimbus, while expecting the names within the next few days.
Inner Manipur constituency seat with 15 assembly constituencies will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19, while the remaining 13 ACs of the Outer seat will vote in the second phase on April 26.Stating that the party welcomes the poll schedules, Nimbus expressed that the ECI made the decision after considering thoroughly the conflict situation gripping Manipur since May last year.
On the other hand, the opposition Congress has a different say, as its state PCC vice president and spokesperson, Kh Debabrata asserted that their first demand was to defer the election taking into account the unceasing ethnic violence.
"Our request is to bring solution first and polls next.
Though election is mandatory, the environment for the polls at this juncture is not conducive," he said, adding that as the poll dates have been announced, "we have to participate in it remorsefully" .