Friends are becoming foes, and the political climate is changing rapidly – describes the situation in Manipur after the official entry of the Janata Dal (United) into the political race of the state. JDU, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in Bihar and a member of the National Democratic Alliance(NDA), will now be running against the latter in the new state of Manipur. It shouldn’t wholly come as a surprise, considering JDU has spoken out publicly against the BJP in the past. With plans to contest on 39 seats out of 60, JDU looks like a formidable opponent.
The make-up of the party
The party has now filled its ranks with rebels and defectors from other parties, especially from the two largest ones, namely Congress and the BJP. The party, led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has fielded candidates fleeing from both parties and other big names such as former chief secretary and former Deputy General of Police Thounaojam Brinda, the lady cop known for her efforts in battling illegal drugs in the state. She enjoys significant popularity in the state as a youth icon and someone who left her job to join the police as a means of helping the people.
Another candidate that has now joined JD(U) is Khumukcham Joykisan, who had initially switched over to the Congress from BJP in 2017, thereby becoming an MLA. However, after recently being suspended by Congress, he is now a JD(U) member and contesting from Thangmeiband, his traditional assembly seat. He was a member of the BJP for five years before joining Congress.
JDU is contesting in Manipur after a gap of 22 years since they did not contest elections earlier being a part of NDA, and Joykisan believes that it can pull off a surprise like the BJP did last time. “We are not only kingmakers, we can take the leading role as well. Who had imagined the BJP could come to power in Manipur, but it happened in 2017. Just wait and watch, we will surprise,” he told NDTV.
Promises and Reactions
Like all other parties, the JDU has also promised to scrap the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) if voted to power. However, the issue continues to be a controversial one in the state. The party has also promised to reserve 50% of seats in the Panchayats for women. However, the BJP has showdown the possibility of any threat from the party, saying that it lacks “winnability”.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh told NDTV that those who did not get party tickets have now defected to smaller parties, demonstrating their lack of loyalty. He said that the winnability factor they had only worked with BJP and will be of no use now. “JD(U) is their B-team, they are almost sort of BJP so we are not surprised that the rejected BJP candidates are contesting on JD(U) tickets thinking it’s part of the NDA,” Manipur Congress spokesperson Kh. Devabrata Singh said.
The first phase of polling in Manipur is scheduled for February 28, while the second is on March 5. The votes are to be counted on March 10.
