Imphal, December 15 2009: Shijagurumayum Shantikumar Sharma, who has been elected as the new president of BJP Manipur Pradesh has set sights on success for the saffron party in the next State assembly elections.

"Our main agenda is to strengthen the party in all levels across the state.

With the advice of our party members and leaders, we will formulate a new strategy to strengthen our party to win maximum seats enough to beat the ruling Congress in the 2012 state assembly elections," Shantikumar (58) said.

A resident of Keishampat Thokchom Leikai, Shantikumar joined BJP in 1984 and served the political organisation as state level secretary, general secretary and as a vice president till his elevation to the top post without opposition this afternoon when the organisational election was conducted.

It may be noted that the BJP managed to win six out of 60 seats in the 2000 assembly elections and four in the 2002 polls but failed to open its account in the 2007 polls.

Toying on Shantikumar's line, BJP's former national secretary Meinam Bhorot and its north-east in-charge P Chandrasekhar Rao among other said they would make maximum effort to revamp the party's organizational set-up.

"We have enough capable and dynamic candidates for this by-election but we sacrificed our candidature only to beat Congress candidate Elangbam Suraj.

Likewise our like-minded friend MPP also followed suit," Shantikumar said refering to the BJP and MPP deciding not to put up candidates and instead extend support to independent candidate Hanjabam Jayadeva Sharma in the ensuing by-poll to Yaiskul constituency slated for December 19 .

During the state organizational election, BJP leaders Ranjan Das and Kh Dinamani Singh also attended as returning officer and state returning officer respectively.

They also announced the election of Shamurailatpam Chokheshwor Sharma (general category) and N Kayishii Mao (ST category) as BJP's national council members.

the elected state unit BJP functionaries will serve three years in office.

The BJP organisational election was held under the supervision of central election observer cum returning officer Missian Ranjan Das and BJP North East Zonal Organising secretary P Chandrasekhar Rao.

Former Chief Minister RK Dorendra, ex-BJP State unit president Dr H Borbabu, Meinam Bhorot, L Raghumani and State returning officer Kh Dinamai were also present during the polling held at BJP office.

After perusing the report furnished by the state returning officer which said that BJP vice-president Sh Shantikumar was supported by 60 council members for the post of BJP Manipur Pradesh president, central election observer cum returning officer Missian Ranjan Das declared Shantikumar elected president of BJP Manipur Pradesh uncontested for a term of three years.

Th RO further announced that Sh Chokheswor Sharma and N Kayisii Mao have been unanimously elected members of the National Council in general and ST categories respectively.

Later, newly elected BJP president Shantikumar and National Council members, Chokheswor and N Kayisii were felicitated by BJP workers including members of Mahila Morcha.

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