Parties unlikely to finalise nominees before poll date
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 25 2021: While there are reports of the Election Commission of India issuing election notification for the 2022 state assembly elections in five states within short notice, political parties in the state are unlikely to declare their candidates before the ECI finalises the schedules.

On the other hand, there are also possibilities of people of the state coming across some new political parties entering the state after the ruling party BJP declares its candidates for the 2022 election, according to a political analyst.

Speaking to The People's Chronicle, a BJP leader revealed that the party is planning to held candidates in all the 60 assembly constituencies and there are multiple intending candidates vying for the party ticket in every constituency.

In such a scenario, it would not be an easy task for the party to declare its candidates.

Several national leaders of the party had visited Imphal numerous times and had talked with the intending candidates one by one.

National leaders had already collected reports on the reason for contesting the election, reason for choosing BJP and their winnability.

Moreover, micro-survey teams of the party had also collected detailed ground reports.

Based on these inputs, the party may declare candidates for some assembly constituency in the first phase before the election notification.

For the remaining constituencies, the party is likely to take some time and finalise the candidates after the election notification as there are huge pressures from all the intending candidates and difference of opinions among the party leaders regarding potential candidates in some constituencies, he said.

On the other hand, a leader of the Indian National Congress said that the national leaders want to declare candidates for assembly constituencies before the election notification.

However, state leaders are in favour of delaying the announcement.

Several intending candidates are in the race for INC ticket and there is still need for assessing their winning probabilities and it is the main reason for the delay in announcing the candidates.

He also said that the party has high confidence of getting majority and forming the next government in the state.

The party leaders are putting in their best efforts to grab the opportunity that lies ahead to form the government, he said.

On the other-hand, an NPP leader said it will not declare candidates before the election notification.

Considering the position of the party and its growing popularity, many of the potential intending candidates who are in race for BJP ticket will definitely turn to the second option, which is NPP and the party will take the opportunity before declaring its candidates.

The party will not form any pre-poll alliance with any political party but the party leaders will assess the post poll scenario and do the needful to stay in power, he confided.

Meanwhile, a political analyst said that BJP might face a setback in achieving its target considering the large number of intending candidates vying for the party's ticket in different assembly constituencies.

It could become the party's biggest drawback and could settle for a reduced seat than its target.

At the same time, some political parties might also set their foot for the first time in the state after the ruling party declares its candidates, the analyst opined.

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