Lok Sabha election 2019: Congress will look to retain Inner Manipur in second phase polling
The Congress party will fight hard to retain Inner Manipur, one of the two parliamentary constituencies in the state where the BJP and its allies are in power.
The Congress party will fight hard to retain Inner Manipur, one of the two parliamentary constituencies in Manipur, in the northeastern state where the BJP and its allies rule months after massive protests over the citizenship bill.
Inner Manipur is voting on Thursday in the second phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 and counting will be held on May 23.
Also read: Here is all you need to know about Manipur
The state saw protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 (CAB), which proposes to give citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Even the BJP-led government in Manipur had urged the Centre to exempt the state from the jurisdiction of the bill. The protests by opposition parties and student and indigenous groups deterred the government from tabling the legislation.
The BJP formed the government in Manipur after the assembly election in March 2017 although the Congress emerged the single largest party with 28 seats in the 60-member house. The BJP with 21 seats got the support of four MLAs each from the Naga People’s Front and the National Peoples’ Party and one from the Lok Janshakti Party.
The Congress’ O Nabakishore Singh, the former chief secretary of the state, is looking to help his party win the Inner Manipur seat, which it has held since 2004.
Also read: Congress has fielded new face from stronghold Inner Manipur
Nabakishore Singh will be up against the Communist Party of India’s M Nara Singh and RK Ranjan Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party among others.
Manipur People’s Party, one of the oldest regional political party in eastern India named its president O Jugindro as the candidate for inner Manipur seat while his colleague Laikham Kaipu from Chandel district as candidates for the Outer seat.
The votes will be counted on May 23.