Assembly Elections: Manipur's ruling party, NPP fields candidates against its ally BJP in all seats

Imphal/Shillong: Going alone in the upcoming assembly polls, Manipur's ruling party, the National People's Party(NPP) has fielded candidates against its ally BJP in all the seats it is contesting.

Announcing the list in Imphal, NPP's Election Management Committee chief Joy Kumar Singh has indicated that the party might announce the names of more candidates soon.

The first list of 20 candidates, approved by the NPP's National President and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma includes three sitting MLAs, including Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar Singh, contesting from their seats.

Y Joykumar Singh will again contest from his Uripok constituency, while NPP's Manipur unit president L Jayantakumar Singh and N Kayisii will seek re-election from Keishamthong and Tadubi assembly segments respectively. The list has only two women - W. Sumati Devi (Lamsang) and Nalini Devi (Oinam).

State Sports Minister Letpao Haokip, who had won from Chandel seat on an NPP ticket five years ago, joined the BJP in 2021.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which had bagged 21 seats in the last assembly elections in 2017, formed a coalition government with the support of four NPP MLAs, four Naga People's Front (NPF) members, the lone Trinamool Congress MLA, and an independent member.

The NPP had fielded its nominees in nine constituencies in the 2017 state polls and won four.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, senior Minister Thongam Biswajit, who is holding six important departments including PWD and Panchayat and Rural Development, state BJP chief Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi have been camping in Delhi for the past two days for consultation with the central leaders for selection of candidates and finalizing the election strategies.

The Janata Dal (United) also on Monday announced a list of 16 candidates for the Manipur assembly polls

The 2022 elections to the 60-member Manipur assembly will be held on February 27 and March 3. The counting votes will be conducted on March 10.

Notably, the NPP had on January 23 released its election manifesto and promised that it would take initiatives for removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958 from Manipur. The party also stressed on protection of the rights of indigenous people