The preparations for the first phase of state assembly elections are now underway in Manipur. With the polls scheduled to be conducted on February 27, nearly all political parties have started the engagement process with the voters in the following forms: holding rallies, door-to-door and campaigning to try and swing the consensus in their favour.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took part in the process on February 22 when he addressed an election rally in the state’s capital Imphal. Campaigning for his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he greeted his supporters at Imphal’s Luwangsangbam Sports Complex ahead of the rally, where he was greeted with the chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Modi ki Jai”.
Addressing the rally, PM Modi said, “in the last five years, our govt has aimed to develop Manipur. You’ve witnessed BJP’s good governance as well as the good intention”. The BJP is the party that has been in power in the state since 2017, when it was able to form key alliances with regional parties despite having won only 21 seats to the Indian National Congress (INC)’s 28.
The state of Manipur celebrated fifty years of its formation last month, which is something that the Prime Minister brought up in his speech. He claimed that it was because the state has seen several parties in the last few decades instead of having seen a stable government that faced the problem of inequality. He also blamed Congress for the same.
BJP’s promises
The BJP had released its manifesto for Manipur last week on February 17. The protection of the state’s territorial integrity and preservation of the rich culture and heritage were promised. The manifesto also focused on preserving the rights of the indigenous people of Manipur. In addition, it promises two free LPG cylinders to all Ujjwal beneficiaries of the state and free scooties, and monetary incentives to the tune of ₹25,000 to female students. An important point to note is that the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA was not mentioned.
About the election
The polls will be conducted in two phases in Manipur, with the first phase being scheduled for February 27. The second phase will take place on March 3. The sixty constituencies in the state have been divided into two sets for these polls, one for each stage. Since BJP only came to power for the first time in 2017, it has been trying hard to maintain its relevance in the state. It could only be possible because of alliances with other parties such as National People’s Party (NPP), Naga People’s Front (NPF), and Lok Janshakti.
N Biren Singh was chosen as the chief minister of the state. The Congress still enjoys significant support in the state as it was the single largest party in 2017 with 28 seats won. If Congress can effectively mobilise its campaigning unit in time, it can present a stiff challenge to the ruling BJP.
