News Analysis India

Tag: Manipur Assembly Elections

  • Out of 60, 48 members of Manipur Assembly crorepatis, 25 have criminal cases

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Of the 60 members of the new Manipur Assembly, as many as 48 are crorepatis with average assets of winning candidates amounting to Rs 3.75 crore, while 23 per cent of them have criminal cases and 18 per cent have serious criminal cases registered against them.

    This was revealed by the Manipur Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) that analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 60 winning candidates in the Manipur Assembly elections, results of which were declared on March 10.

    The BJP won 32 seats, National People’s Party (NPP) won seven, Janta Dal (United) six, Congress five, Naga People’s Front five, Independents three while Kuki People’s Alliance won two seats.

    Criminal cases

    Out of the 60 winning candidates analysed in 2022, 14 (23 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves. In 2017, two (3 per cent) MLAs had declared criminal cases against them.

    A total of 11 (18 per cent) winning candidates have declared serious criminal cases against them. In 2017, two (3 per cent) MLAs had declared serious criminal cases against them.

    Party-wise, seven (22 per cent) out of the 32 winning candidates from the BJP, four (80 per cent) out of five from Congress, one (14 per cent) out of seven from NPP, one (17 per cent) out of six from JD(U) and one (33 per cent) out of three Independents have declared criminal cases against them in their affidavits, the ADR analysis showed.

    Five (16 per cent) out of 32 winning candidates from BJP, four (80 per cent) out of five from Congress, one (14 per cent) out of seven from NPP and one (17 per cent) out of six from JD(U) have declared serious criminal cases against them in their affidavits.

    Crorepati candidates

    Out of the 60 winning candidates analysed, 48 (80 per cent) are crorepatis, as compared to 32 (53 per cent) in 2017.

    Party-wise, 25 (78 per cent) out of 32 from BJP, six (86 per cent) out of seven from NPP, all five (100 per cent) from Congress, five (83 per cent) out of six from JD(U), five (100 per cent) out of five from NPF and two (67 per cent) out of three Independents have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.

    The average of assets per winning candidate is Rs 3.75 crore, compared to Rs 2.16 crore in 2017.

    The average assets per winning candidates for BJP is Rs 2.91 crore, Rs 3.45 crore for NPP, Rs 2.80 crore for JD(U), Rs 6.20 crore for NPF, Rs 4.38 crore for Congress, Rs 64.29 lakh for Kuki Peoples Alliance, and Rs 12.22 crore for three Independent candidates, the ADR analysis said.

  • Assembly polls 2022: BJP ahead in Manipur, early trends show

    By PTI

    IMPHAL: The BJP was leading in 23 seats and the Congress in 12 constituencies in the initial rounds of counting of votes in Manipur.

    Counting of votes for 60 assembly seats in Manipur began at 8 am on Thursday under tight security and strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols, officials said.

    According to early trends available from all the 60 constituencies, the BJP was ahead in 23 seats, the Congress in 12 and the NPP in 11.

    As per the official figure of the Election Commission, the BJP was ahead in 16 seats, the National People’s Party in six, the Congress in five and the JD(U) in three constituencies.

    The newly formed Kuki People’s Alliance and an Independent candidate led in one constituency each.

    Chief Minister N Biren Singh led with a huge margin of 8,574 votes against his nearest Congress rival in the Heingang constituency, while former CM and CLP leader O Ibobi Singh was ahead by a margin of 472 votes against BJP’s L Basanta.

    Congress president N Loken Singh trailed by 4,426 votes against BJP candidate Th Basanta, the EC data showed.

  • Despite fractured predictions of exit polls, BJP, Congress confident of forming government in Manipur

    By IANS

    IMPHAL: Despite fractured predictions by most of the exit polls on Monday, the two dominant political parties in Manipur – the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress – are confident of forming the government in the northeastern state after the declaration of Assembly election results on March 10.

    Manipur witnessed a hung Assembly in the previous polls in 2017, and this time too most of the exit polls’ predictions indicate another hung house.

    Claiming that his party is confident to form the government in Manipur, state Congress spokesman K.H. Debabrata said that the ruling BJP has used militants and other unethical methods to retain power, but the people of the state have given their verdict against the ruling party.

    “The BJP government and its leaders turned Manipur into ‘Moneypur’. During the elections, the BJP leaders utilised underground militants, goons and muscle power. The BJP government at the Centre and in the state gave Rs 16 crore to the militants just before the polls to influence the voters,” the Congress leader told IANS.

    Union Minister and BJP’s Manipur election in-charge Pratima Bhowmik said there is no doubt that the BJP is coming to power in Manipur for a second term with absolute majority.

    “People of Manipur have become fed up with the Congress. Their mis-governance for many years encouraged the militant outfits to grow. Blockades and bandhs (shut down) were regular affairs during the Congress regime. Hence, the people of the state this time rejected the party whole-heartedly,” Bhowmik said.

    Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had earlier told IANS that the BJP would get at least 40 seats in the 60-member house.

    Another Manipur in-charge of the BJP and the party’s national spokesperson, Sambit Patra, tweeted: “The BJP is set to come back with a firm majority in the states we were in the govt – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. Our focus area was majorly empowerment – of women, youth, poor and needy and farmers among other sectors.”

    The leaders of the National People’s Party (NPP), BJP’s estranged ally, and Janata Dal (United), are also claiming that they would play a vital role in government formation. The two parties fielded 38 candidates each this time.

    NPP general secretary for Manipur, Sheikh Noorul Hassan, said that in the previous Assembly elections, the party had secured four seats, but this time it will bag more than 20 seats to become a formidable political force in Manipur.

    The BJP had secured 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly in the last polls in 2017 and wrested power for the first time after stitching together a coalition government with the support of four NPP MLAs, four Naga People’s Front (NPF) members, the lone Trinamool Congress MLA and an Independent member.

    However, this time the BJP, NPP and NPF are contesting separately and have fielded candidates against each other.

    Congress, which governed the state for 15 consecutive years (2002-2017) and emerged as the single largest party by securing 28 seats in 2017, this time formed a Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance (MPSA) after forging a pre-poll alliance with four Left parties and Janata Dal-Secular.

    Political observers said the outcome of the Assembly elections would have important ramifications for Meghalaya and Nagaland, the two northeastern states which along with Tripura would go to the polls early next year.

  • Smriti Irani to Manipuris: When Rahul can refuse to lead Congress, how will he lead you?

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday asked the people of Manipur to not rely on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stating when he could refuse to lead his own party, how he would lead them.

    She said it is a quality of a leader that he would not go away from his people during difficult times.

    “But Rahul Gandhi tendered his resignation letter saying he cannot lead the Congress. If he is not keen on leading his party and does not have faith in it, how can you repose your trust in him and the Congress?” Irani asked addressing people at a rally at Lamsang.

    Defeat and victory are the two sides of a coin in an election but Rahul Gandhi has proven he distances himself from his people during difficult times, Irani said.

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    “How can he lead you when he could not be a leader of his own people?” the BJP leader asked.

    She expressed plaudits to the Narendra Modi government for protecting women by building toilets. She said research reports revealed that 40% of the cases of rape of women prior to 2014 were related to open defecation.

    “The reports also revealed that open defecation was among reasons behind diseases among women. The Congress knew about this challenge of women but did nothing,” Irani said.

    She said it was the BJP government at the Centre that built 10 crore toilets in the country, including 1.5 lakh of them in Manipur.

    She praised Chief Minister N Biren Singh for his peaceful approach to resolving conflicts.

    “That you have a chief minister who believes in a peaceful resolution of conflicts and challenges is the pride of the BJP,” Irani said.

    Taking part at another rally at Wangkhei, she joined a group of artists performing a traditional dance. The two-phase polls will be held on February 28 and March 5.

  • Manipur Polls 2022: Congress releases 2nd list of 10 candidates

    By PTI

    IMPHAL: The Congress on Tuesday released its second list of 10 candidates for the upcoming Manipur assembly election.

    Former minister Ningthoujam Biren Singh and legislator Pukhrem Sharatchandra Singh are among the nominees featured in the second list.

    The party had on January 22 released the first list of 40 candidates with former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh contesting from Thoubal assembly seat.

    Election to the 60-member Manipur assembly will be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3. The result will be declared on March 10.