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With
the Congress suffering stunning reverses in
Punjab
and Uttarakhand, the party had much reason to cheer about in
Manipur where it emerged triumphant at the just-concluded
elections to state assembly. Even die-hard optimist in the party
may not have expected such a clear mandate from a fractured
polity. The Congress won 30 seats, just one short of a clear
majority in the 60-member Assembly.
Chief
Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who won Khangabok and Thoubal seats,
is the happiest man around and so also Manipur Pradesh Congress
Committee chief Gaikhangam over the people’s mandate for
stability and development which the Congress ushered in its last
tenure in office. Said the Congress chief: “The
Congress’ success was for ushering in peace, development and
stability”, said the Congress chief.
Talking
to reporters Gaikhangam said that the Congress and the CPI
alliance would continue the coalition for another five years.
The CPI was a partner in the outgoing ruling coalition Secular
Progressive Front, though the two parties this time did not
forge an alliance in the current election. But the Left
extending support to the Congress is a foregone conclusion.
Political
observers are of one opinion that in a State marked by political
dissension and instability; the return of the Congress’ to
power for the second consecutive term is a milestone in itself.
“Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has created political history by
completing the full five-year term,” said an observer.
While
the Congress was upbeat in its victory doing far better this
time winning 10 more than its 2002 tally, the Manipur People’s
Party (MPP) which was confident of forming the Government on the
eve of the polls, received a bolt from the blue securing a mere
five seats. All its bigwigs - party chief L. Chandramani Singh,
former Chief Minister RK Dorendra Singh and former MP Thounoujam
Chaoba - were made to bite the dust by the electorate. MPP
leaders were at a loss to explain the defeat, saying that issues
raised by it like repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act
did not appeal to the electorate together with its alliance with
some other regional parties which came a little late.
“Issues
highlighted by us during the polls did not cut ice with the
voters. Moreover, though the Federal Party of Manipur and
Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party merged with us prior
to the polls, the late merger did not reach the voters on time.
We will sit and discuss threadbare as to what went wrong,”
said a crestfallen Chandramani Singh to reporters.
This
election also witnessed for the first time ever Naga groups
owing allegiance to United Naga Council (UNC) with indirect
backing from National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah)
held sway in the hills winning six of the 11 candidates it had
backed. Their election plank was on unification of all Naga-inhabited
areas of the State with Nagaland.
On
the other hand, the Nationalist Congress Party won five seats,
the CPI four, the Independents 10 seats (the second largest bloc
in the Assembly), the fledgling Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu
Prasad’s and the National People’s Party three seats each.
With
the Congress all set to form the next Government in Manipur, the
question that is doing the rounds is who is going to be at the
helm of affairs –Ibobi Singh or Gaikhangam. The two party
heavyweights are not in the best of terms. However, political
observers argue that the scale is tilted in Ibobi’s favour for
two reasons: firstly, for lasting the full five-year term and
secondly, for spearheading the party to a remarkable victory
despite heavy odds.
Be
that as it may, a main challenge that awaits the new Congress
Government, observers say, will be from the UNC backed MLAs as
they are going to put the ruling party in a piquant situation by
openly raising the Naga integration issue on the floor of the
Assembly. February
2007
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