Cong, BJP upbeat ahead of vote count
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 10 2017:
Ruling Congress party and BJP, the two main rivals of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly election, have been literally preparing to form the next State Government with the counting of votes scheduled to kick off at 8 am tomorrow.
Although both the parties are hoping to secure 31 or more seats so as to form the next Government, a clear picture about which party would form Government would emerge by 3/4 pm tomorrow.
Notably, a total 266 candidates contested for the 60 seats of Manipur Legislative Assembly.
For the first time, BJP fielded their candidates in all the 60 Assembly segments while rival Congress party put up 59 candidates after leaving out Kangpokpi AC.
Khadga Tamang who contested the election as an independent candidate in Kangpokpi AC was first allotted Congress ticket.
But he opted to fight the election as an independent candidate following strong objection by many civil society organisations against non-indigenous people contesting elections in the State.
Both Congress and BJP have been boasting that they would score landslide victory over each other.
Yet, if they could not garner the magic number of 31 seats, they would leave no stone unturned to rope in independent candidates and candidates elected on tickets of other political parties so that they can claim majority in the House.
One key Congress leader, on condition of anonymity, told The Sangai Express that they are still hopeful of winning 30 to 40 seats.
Even if Congress party wins lesser seats than the magic number of 31, the party would not find any difficulty to form the next Government as it is ready to forge alliance with like minded parties, asserted the Congress leader.
On the other hand, BJP Manipur Pradesh spokesman N Biren claimed that they would win 28 to 34 seats.
BJP would definitely form a 'good' Government in the State.
Even if BJP's total tally is shorter than the magic number by a few seats, BJP can easily form the Government in association with MLAs of other parties like NPP, LJP etc which are allies of NDA at the Centre and victorious independent candidates.
Whether BJP would forge any alliance with the Naga People's Front (NPF) would depend on the results of the election, Biren said.
Other than the Congress and BJP candidates, 16 AITC candidates.
20 NPP candidates, 15 MNDF candidates, 17 LJP candidates 13 NEIDP candidates, five MPP candidates and 23 independent candidates including those who first sought NPF tickets too contested the election.
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