IMPHAL, May 13: The Bharatiya Janata Party has today released an initial list of 24 candidates for the upcoming elections to Imphal Municipal Corporation but there were deep resentment among party workers on the selection of candidates in some wards.
Convenor of state election management committee Th Chaoba said the candidates for all 10 wards which were reserved for women have been included in the first list of 24 candidates. The candidates for the remaining three wards – Ward No 3, 20 and 26 – could not be finalised today due to problems in documentation and they will be announced in the second phase tomorrow, he said.
Elections for IMC will be held across eight Assembly constituencies, including a small segment Lamsang AC, in the two districts of Imphal East and Imphal West. Official records have put the total number of electorates at 1,75,864, out of which 84,045 are males, and the number of polling stations where voting will be conducted at 255.
Imphal East district has 51,756 electorates and 66 polling stations in total and encompassed seven wards and 14 ward development committee members. On the other hand, Imphal West district commands a total of 1,24,108 voters, 20 wards, 40 ward development committee members and 255 polling stations.
The BJP which has its pride at stake due to its claims as a powerful threat to the ruling Congress will be targeting to capture maximum seats. This election will also serve as an acid test for the leadership skills of its new state chief Ksh Bhabananda ahead of bigger challenges in the form of the Assembly election next year.
The list of candidates was announced after the conclusion of a meeting of the seven-member core committee of BJP in the presence of party secretary in charge of Manipur Prahlad Singh Patel and Bhabananda, followed by the election committee meeting at the party headquarter at Nityaipat Chuthek.
A press briefing was also held which was conducted by Bhabananda Singh, Th Chaoba, Convener of state election management committee, Sh Premananda, General Secretary Organisation and MLAs Kh Joykisan and Th Bishwajit.
Meanwhile, a few applicants who were denied tickets has expressed dissatisfaction with the manner of scanning the candidates and others have complained how preference for selection were given to people who had only recently jointed the party.