CHURACHANDPUR, January 8 (agencies): Notwithstanding the all-out attacks by the Coordination Committee (corcom) of the seven outlawed underground organisations in Manipur the ruling Congress which is contesting all the 60 seats for the January 28 polls is confident that it will form the next Ministry.
The MPCC president Gaikhangam says that his party will secure absolute majority. However some other leaders reasonably say that the party will emerge as the single largest party and that it will play the major role in the formation of the next ministry.
But then the hit squads of the seven insurgent groups have fanned out in the four valley districts to torch the Congress offices, blast hand grenades here and there, fire lethod bombs to the houses of the Congress candidates to drive the message home that they mean business when they said that the Congress cannot carry on any election related activity.
The deployment of armed police and paramilitary forces everywhere and doubling of the security guards of the Congress candidates have not stemmed the rot.
The calculation among the senior ministers and MLAs is that many of the Congress candidates in the four valley districts will be defeated since the candidates cannot move out of their homes to carry on electioneerings.
Following some bomb attacks the hardcore Congress workers who had supported the candidates and did many things for the party are conspicuous by their absence now. Since it is a question of life and death for them they had faded out after distancing themselves from the candidates.
Okram Ibobi who was one of the MLAs elected from Thoubal district had been the Chief Minister for 10 years on the basis of the impressive number of candidates elected from the valley districts. But the political map had been morphed following the indefinite ban imposed by the corcom. The other non-Congress parties are gaining upperhand and this sounds the death knell for several Congress candidates.
On the other hand, the Naga People’s Front which is contesting the elections in Manipur for the first time is likely to win most of the 12 seats it is contesting. It is banking on the emotive issue of integrating the Naga areas with Nagaland. Besides the United Naga Council and other Naga groups have been saying that the Congress is boycotted and obstructed in the Naga areas. In other words the outcome of the elections for the Congress candidates in the Naga dominated areas is fairly foreknown. There are 19 seats reserved for the Naga and the Kuki tribals.
Churachandpur, dominated by the non-Naga tribals is one where the election outcome cannot be predicted in this line. In this district the Congress is fighting all the 6 seats. With the progress report of the Congress in the last 10 years the party is hoping to win all the seats. So far there is no visible and palpable presence of the corcom in this district.
Some prominent Congressmen told The Sentinel that because of the track record of the Congress the candidates will easily win the elections in this district. The heavyweights include Phungzathang Tonsing, the power Minister and T N Haokip the Public Health Engineering Minister. Besides some former Ministers who are now Congress functionaries like Chartonlian Amo are fighting in this district.
The valley based insurgents have not so far created law and order problems in this district. Though the district had several armed groups they had come overground following the signing of the suspension of operations on August 22,2008. Police say that Churachandpur has been an island of peace in the state. It is much on the cards that if all the Congress candidates in this district are elected they will make the reasonable claim for the leadership in the next ministry. This will be a demand the high command will find difficult to turn down. Because a non-tribal has been the Chief Minister for two consecutive terms and time has come for a tribal politician. Besides the writing on the wall is the the performances of the Congress candidates in the valley districts will not be so impressive. Though armed police and paramilitary personnel are seen everywhere and the Congress candidates are provided additional security guards they have not been able to carry on electioneering in full swing. Though there are 19 seats reserved for the tribals the demand is not unreasonable. Rishang Keishing, a tribal politician from Ukhrul, had been sworn in as the Chief Minister for five times. It is another story if he could not complete any term due to floor crossings by the MLAs and ministers.
The man in the street in Churachandpur district relishes the idea of one MLA becoming the Chief Minister. Several persons told The Sentinel that it will go a long way in speeding up the development apart from the status symbol. The Congress candidates are overjoyed by this favourable wind. But then there are some traps round the corner. Tonsing had okayed the disconnetion drive of the power consumers drawing flakes from many sections of the people. There were discriminations and other controversial official actions. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi had to intervene in view of the mounting criticism from the people since it would adversely affect the election prospect. It is felt that the Congress had to pay dearly in the Konthoujam by-elections for this anti-people campaign. TN Haokip had shabbily treated some journalists from Churachandpur who had come to meet him in his capacity as the Information Minister. When the members of the Manipur Hill Journalists’ Union had threatened to boycott him which would have finished his election Haokip had reportedly tendered apology to the journalists.
But then strategy of the six Congress candidates from this district is not mere pipe dream. Okram Ibobi who is hoping for a hat-trick must be sleepless.