Imphal, November 05: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma has declared that his party will go alone in the forthcoming 8th Manipur Assembly elections.

It will put up candidates in not less than 40 seats.

Though it is a new national party, the NCP has introduced a new political culture with an agenda of improving the financial health of the country in general and of the North Eastern States in particular, he said asking the Manipur unit party leaders to organize the party's district level conferences over a period of one and a half months.

To encourage women's participation in politics, Sangma said a few seats will be kept reserved for women to contest the Assembly elections.

Regarding defections under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, he said a Private Member Resolution will be moved in the Parliament to bar any MP/MLA from holding public office if he or she defects from the original party.

The Congress (I) and the NCP will not be reunited again.

The Congress is a dying party while the NCP is a growing party of the people, he said.

Ex-MLAs RK Ranbir (MPP), Speaker Dr S Dhananjoy Singh (MSCP), L Kerani (Samata Party), M Chungkhosei (BJP), T Gouzadou (FPM), Kh.

Jiban (MPP) and H.Thoithoi (MPP) have joined the NCP, he said.

The insurgency problem in the region could be solved only when the Centre with the support of the State Governments enhance the living standard of the North Easterners with the development of transport and communication facilities, he opined.

Replying to a question, Sangma said he could not become the chief negotiator for the ongoing talks between the centre and the NSCN(IM) as the Congress (I) Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland had opposed to the proposal of the Centre.

Sangma who is also a member of the Committee for the Amendment of the Constitution also claimed to have suggested to the Prime Minister not to hold peace talks only with the NSCN but include all the organizations operating in the region.

The Prime Minister should hold the negotiations himself.

He made this suggestion when he was offered the chief negotiator's post by the Prime Minister, Sangma said.

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