IMPHAL, December 29: The BJP Manipur accepts the challenge of the ‘pseudo secular’ Congress on the outcome of the upcoming Municipal and Nagar Panchayat polls, its president Th Chaoba said during a media conference today at his office.
Reacting to reported statements of the State Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaikhangam that the local civic bodies election will decide the strength of both the BJP and the Congress, Chaoba said his party is ready to welcome the public mandate in the upcoming civic polls in the State.
He said he is confident that his party will win majority in at least 10 municipal councils.
The election in 18 Municipal Councils and eight Nagar Panchayats will be for 279 seats, he said.
Chaoba added that this time the Congress has fielded that only 199 candidates while the BJP is fielding 181 candidates.
In the last election, the Congress had captured 90 percent of the seats and this year it is fielding only 60 percent of the total seats available, he said.
The downfall of the Congress has already begun in the State, he said, adding that the party is likely to win not more than 20 seats in the next State Assembly election.
As for the January 11, 2016 civic polls, the Congress is unable to field even a single candidate in the Oinam Municipal Council, whereas the number of Congress candidates in Thongkhong Laxmi Municipal Council, Wabagai Municipal Council, Samurou Municipal Council are very less, he said.
The main factors for the downfall of the Congress are no devolution of power to local bodies and corruption in any government job recruitment process, he charged.
He continued the people have now realised that the Congress have been cheating the people with corruption and had always favoured the MLAs rather than the civic bodies representatives.
He said instead of devolution of power to the local body representatives, the MLAs have been enjoying all the powers.
He further appealed to the people to support his party and save Manipur from the Congress.
He said once the BJP comes to power in the State, Modi’s ideology of no interview in recruitment of Grade III and IV posts will be implemented in the State.
He continued the leaders of the BJP Manipur core-committee are now united and will work together in campaigning for the civic polls.
BJP Manipur general secretary (Media) L Basanta Sharma also spoke on the occasion.