BJP nominees in dispute-free ACs by Jan 27
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 25 2022: The names of BJP candidates in all 60 seats for the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly Election are likely to be announced by January 27 .

On Tuesday, a meeting of the Parliamentary Board of chaired by party's national president JP Nadda was convened at the central office of the party in New Delhi.

The meeting was attended by Manipur Election in-charge Bhupender Yadav, Ajay Jamwal, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Manipur Pradesh president A Sharda Devi, Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Works minister Th Biswajit.

After the culmination of the meeting, state chief Sharda, CM Biren and minister Biswajit returned to the state via a charter flight around 8.10 pm Tuesday.

Speaking to newspersons at the airport, A Sharda informed that a survey report and list of potential candidates for the upcoming polls were submitted to the Parliamentary Board.

Although the date has not fixed, the names of the party's candidates will be announced within this month.

So far, there is no disagreements regarding the party ticket and everything in this regard has been made clear to the central party leaders.

The names of the candidates will be in one-go, she disclosed.

Further informing that BJP will be fielding candidates in all 60 constituencies of the state, the president said that the parliamentary board will announce the names after studying the survey reports.

In this, there is no certainty of inclusion or exclusion of party MLAs, she stated, adding that all will be known after the announcement.

Works Minister Th Biswajit also spoke to the media persons, stating that BJP, as a political party, has its own way of functioning just as a family does.

The candidates will be announced after scrutinising the field work they have done in their respective constituencies.

Thus, the Parliamentary Board, after examining the field work survey reports, will announce the names within the next 2-3 days.

He then said that the issues relating to some candidates not getting party tickets were witnessed in 2017 as well.

Thus, such issues will not affect the party in the least, he conveyed.

On the other hand, a spokesperson of BJP Manipur Pradesh told The People's Chronicle that the list of BJP candidates is likely to be announced in January 27 in a phase-by-phase manner.

The first phase of candidates will be for constituencies with least number of intending candidates.

Presently, there is no surety all sitting BJP MLAs will get the party tickets, but there is possibility that at least 10 per cent will not get the party tickets, the spokesperson added.

In the high-level meet Tuesday, BJP started parleys on finalising candidates for the assembly elections in Manipur.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh will lead the party's campaign in the north-eastern state for the February-March polls, sources in the party have indicated.

But an Assam template is likely to be followed in Manipur too and the BJP may not name its Chief Ministerial candidate officially to avoid a pre-poll internal feud among party leaders as there is a section of leaders who have been pushing the high-command for a leadership change in the state.

Party sources also added that in a recent virtual meeting Union home minister Amit Shah had also categorically stated that BJP is going to go into the polls under the leadership of Biren Singh.

The selection of candidates is a significant issue for the party as there are 3-4 strong contenders for each constituency, sources added.

Unlike in the Assam polls last year where there were two contenders (former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma) for the top post, the templates needed a tweak in Manipur.

Biren Singh is the most seasoned, tactful leader that the party has, who can handle political 'push and pulls' that are so frequent in Manipur, a top BJP leader handling the Northeast affairs hinted.

Secondly, another contender - Biswajit Singh - is not an as powerful leader, sources have said.

Biswajit Singh has a support base in a section of MLAs and party leaders.

There are also leaders like former Education minister Radheshyam Thokchom, and Khemchand Singh.

A section of Manipur BJP leaders and MLAs have been upset with Biren Singh's way of handling the government since 2019 .

Chief Minister Biren Singh, the most powerful minister in his cabinet Biswajit Singh, and state party president A Sharda Devi have been camping in New Delhi for the past three days.

In the five years, over 40 per cent of the Congress MLAs have switched to the BJP.

But all of them will not get poll tickets, sources added.

The names of BJP candidates for Manipur might be released in three separate lists with the first list which may come out this (Tuesday) evening.

The BJP is likely to contest all 60 seats alone.

A section of the party wants a pre-poll alliance with Naga People's Front (NPF) for the Naga tribe-dominated areas.

But the party is yet to take a final call on the pre-poll alliance, party sources further added.

Polling will be held in Manipur in two phases starting February 27.The counting of votes will take place on March 10.The crucial CEC meeting was currently underway at the party headquarters in the national capital at the time of filing this report.

The BJP, which heads Manipur's coalition government, is facing the problem of plenty as it gears up to contest the elections.

As per report, what compounded the BJP's problem is that it has two to three ticket aspirants in each of the state's 60 constituencies.

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