The All India Congress Committee on Saturday released the first list of Manipur Congress candidates selected by the Central Election Committee of Congress for the ensuing Manipur Leguislative Assembly elections.
As many as 40 candidates, including former chief minister O Ibobi Singh, have been named in the first list that was released on Saturday. The release was signed by incharge CEC, general secretary, Mukul Wasnik.
Kh Devabrata, vice president Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) said the list with 40 names is the first list and the party will release the second list of around 12 candidates by the end of this month and subsequently a few more names.
The party has fielded former AITC candidate P Saratchandra Singh against incumbent Chief Minister N Biren Singh in Heingang Assembly constituency. Saratchandra loss to CM Biren Singh with a margin of 1206 votes in the last Assembly election held in 2017. Saratchandra got 9,233 votes while CM Biren got 10,439 votes.
So far only two women are named in the first list, including the sitting MLA of Patsoi AK Mirabai and Th Thoibi Devi from Oinam constituency.
The party is yet to name any candidates for four constituencies including Bishnupur, Tipaimukh, Tengnoupal and Thangmeiband.
The MPCC vice president further informed that the party is likely to field around 55 candidates.
“We are looking to sacrifice some constituencies in the largest interest of non-BJP parties. Our objective is to defeat BJP and formed the Government. We will emerge as the single party under any circumstances”, said the MPCC vice president.
The intention of our party to announce the list of Candidates before anyone else is to put to rest the baseless speculation of being laying in wait for defection from BJP, said the MPPC vice president.
Even as the party is yet to announce the CM face, Devabrata said the election will be fought under the leadership of former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who is the CLP leader.
“As a tradition of our party the elected representatives will choose the leader after the election”, said Devabrata.
The announcement comes a day after the BJP ticket committee meeting. The BJP is likely to announce its first list by January 26. Chief minister N. Biren Singh, BJP state president A Sharda Devi, minister Th Bishwajit is currently camping in New Delhi for finalisation of tickets.
The Manipur Legislative Assembly elections will be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3 to elect 60 assembly members, and counting of votes will take place on March 10.
