BJP, NPP ties fray in Manipur ahead of polls

Most parties, voters think Mandate 2022 will be fractured

Meghalaya CM and National People’s Party (NPP) president Conrad K. Sangma shakes hands with Home Minister Amit Shah. File | Photo Credit: PTI

IMPHAL

The BJP has claimed that is has no strong rival in Manipur, except its “ally”, the National People’s Party (NPP), headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.

However, there is a general consensus among voters that no party will get absolutely majority in the upcoming Assembly election, but the BJP is confident of winning more than 40 seats in the 60-member House. The majority mark is 31.

“We will win comfortably because the people are happy with our performance. We do not seem to have any rival,” Manipur BJP president A. Sharda Devi told The Hindu.

But she admitted that the NPP was a relatively stronger rival, at least in the Imphal Valley comprising of 39 seats. The NPP is a minor partner in the BJP-led coalition government in Manipur.

‘Candidates threatened’

However, Manipur NPP general secretary Sheikh Noorul Hassan said, “Attacks on and threats to our candidates make it apparent that the BJP is worried by the NPP. Our supporters are also being intimidated.”

The NPP candidate from the Khetrigao seat, Mr. Hassan has escaped hostile situations at least thrice while the father of the party’s candidate from the Andro seat, L. Sanjoy Singh was shot in the right shoulder by unidentified assailants. The BJP’s Andro candidate is Thounaojam Shyamkumar, the first defector from the Congress after the 2017 polls.

The NPP also said armed tribal groups were used to force some of its candidates in the hill constituencies to either not file nomination papers or withdraw nominations. The NPP has 38 candidates in the fray, down from the 42 it had given tickets to.

“I have been campaigning in Manipur since 2002, and I have never seen such extreme poll violence. The situation in the State reflects the frustration of certain individuals,” Mr. Sangma said, accusing the BJP of not honouring coalition dharma.

The BJP has denied indulging in violence or using armed groups. But some voters seem to have drawn their own conclusions from the attacks, particularly against the NPP.

“Elections are like an animal’s fight for a mate — the dominant male tends to chase its strongest challenger away,” Ksh. Rajesh, a voter of Wangkhei constituency said. The NPP’s candidate from Wangkhei is former BJP legislator Y. Erabot, who crossed over after being denied a ticket.

The Congress, which was the single-largest party in 2017 with 28 seats to the BJP’s 21, hopes to repeat its performance. “The BJP can make tall claims, but reality is no party is getting majority and we will be in a position to form the government with like-minded parties,” K. Therie, the president of the Nagaland unit of the Congress, who is campaigning in Manipur, said.

The confidence, party leaders said, stems from fielding quality candidates after being cleansed of turncoat MLAs. The BJP has fielded 11 of these legislators.