UPA ally Trinamool Congress which takes on the ruling Congress in Manipur for the January 28 assembly polls there on Monday slammed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the State saying the party would raise it in parliament, if necessary.
“People in Manipur are fed up with the AFSA and it is wrongly utilised. If necessary our party MPs will raise the issue in parliament demanding its withdrawal,” Al-India Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mukul Roy told PTI here.
He said that Trinamool Congress which has a lone member in the outgoing assembly would contest in 48 of the 60 seats in Manipur.
“We are confident that Trinamool will do well in the polls. The Trinamool Congress wants that there should be a pro-people and transparent government in Manipur,” Mr. Roy, the union minister of State for shipping, said.
He said that party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would campaign for party candidates in Manipur. She would address a meeting in Imphal on January 25.
Mr. Roy who would accompany Ms. Banerjee in the campaigning said that the party was yet to finalise seat-sharing with the Janata Dal (United) in Uttar Pradesh.
“Dialogue is on with Janata Dal (United) for seat-sharing, but nothing has been finalised as yet,” he said.
The Trinamool Congress planned to contest in over 100 seats in the 403-member UP assembly, he said.
“Not yet decided”, he said when asked whether the party chief would address election meetings in Uttar Pradesh.
He said that his party would contest 40 seats in Goa and in some constituencies in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly.
