There has been an emergence of the ‘B-Team’ party in Manipur for the upcoming 12th Assembly Election 2022. Some of the basic questions that are pertinent are given as: Which party is being called the ‘B-Team’ Party in Manipur? Why does it emerge in Manipur? Does it seemingly appear under the influence of the present government? Is it charged and framed under the supervision of many influential political leaders of the ruling party in Manipur? Why do many political leaders from different political parties switch to Janata Dal (United)-JD (U) rather than other political parties? Why do many intending candidates join the National People’s Party (NPP)? To examine and scrutinise the above queries is the sole of the article.
There have been many corner contests between the BJP and Congress for the upcoming 12th General Assembly Election. It has been a tradition of the present government that those who do not get a ticket of BJP used to go to other national parties especially JD (U).
Why it is so is because, to begin with, this party is/was a part and parcel of the NDA government. Additionally, it is reported from the Naharolgi Thoudang that many veteran politicians of Manipur, including Yumkham Erabot Singh from the Wangkhei Assembly Constituency who allegedly accused that the politicians and leaders of the ruling party especially ‘the state BJP president Sarda Devi took two or three crore of money from those people who are willing to get tickets for the BJP party (3rd February 2022)’.
Those crores of money have been used for their personal benefits and vested interests (Ibid.) though many politicians of the BJP Manipur like the Minister of Works Th. Biwajit Singh denied many such strong allegations from other parties. It is quite evident from the NDTV report that BJP is the richest party in India by declaring its assets worth Rs 4,847.78 crore in the financial year 2019-20, the highest among all political parties, followed by the BSP at Rs 698.33 crore and the Congress at Rs 588.16 crore based on the Poll Reforms Advocacy (ADR) group after analyzing the assets and liabilities of national (seven) and regional parties (44) in 2019-20 (January 29, 2022).
The more justly interesting and thrilling one is the springing of Bihar based JD (U) party in the soil of Manipur which many scholars think and say orally that this party is being appeared as the ‘B-Team’ party of the present government. It has been able to capture the imagination of many former BJP candidates and others including those who are BJP ticket seekers.
So far 36 candidates have been listed as the final one for the JD (U) party. The most striking one is that out of the 36 candidates, at least two are sitting MLAs and it has many more former MLAs in the final list. Almost all the candidates were BJP ticket aspiring candidates. There is a high chance that these candidates can well eat into the vote share of the ruling party. Another important point is that of giving a JD (U) ticket to Sikander Ali.
To ensure the victory of the BJP candidate Dr Usham Deben Singh, an arch rival of Congress MLA Fajur Rahim, Sikander Ali got JD (U) ticket after denying to the intending candidate Sakir Ahmed for JD (U) ticket. One more possible reason is that of sharing of votes among the clans to Fajur Rahim and Sikander Ali as both of them belonged to the same sagei (clan) called Cheshaba Sagei in the Wabagai Assembly Constituency. Sageism (Clanism) played a crucial role for the vote sharing and distribution in this constituency.
It is orally said by the people of Manipur that Bihar based JD (U) is springing out increasingly as a ‘B-Team’ party of the present government in Manipur. Why not others including the regional parties such as NPP? People started asking why many ex-MLAs of Manipur, including its own members of BJP got denied of BJP tickets and joined other political parties especially JD (U) in the contemporary political scenario of the state of Manipur.
Even BJP leaders who were denied tickets joined the NPP also. The NPP is contesting the polls on its own. Former bureaucrat turned politician Pukhrem Saratchandra Singh from the Moirang Assembly Constituency joined the Congress party after BJP denied him a ticket. Why many of the new entrants into the BJP, including the Moirang Assembly Constituency got ticket of the BJP after denial of its own member on the ground that it is orally undoubtedly a fact that some BJP leaders took lots of money for those who are BJP ticket seekers and gave the tickets to the new entrants. This news has been circulated among the local newspapers on a wider scale.
It is noted that the chief minister of Manipur claimed of the developmental works done by the BJP led coalition government in Manipur for the last five years. Firstly, he talked that the state is peaceful and Manipur is a state which is free from violence though there are many violence related gruesome incidents in the state including the abduction and killing of renowned tribal social activist Athuan Abonmei by some suspected NSCN (IM) armed cadres from Tamenglong district headquarters on Wednesday morning of 23rd September 2021. Justice has not been delivered till now. There was a hullabaloo over this barbarous killing of Abonmei in the hill and valley areas.
Another example is that of killing of other party members that include one student and another one was the student’s father who was seriously injured at Heirok Assembly Constituency by some persons who allegedly belonged to the ruling party. Further, two persons including one Havildar and one active worker of state Agriculture Minister O Lukhoi Singh was shot dead brutally at Samurou Awang Leikai near Machu Cinema Hall by unidentified persons but the problem is that of denial of justice over this issue.
In the Mayang Imphal Assembly Constituency, many common people were taking pledge at bullet and gun point in the name of giving vote to the candidate who belonged to the ruling party. The videos are widely circulated in the social media and even in the TV channels also. There is a fear of psychosis in the psyche of the common people. Additionally, in some other Assembly Constituencies like Andro, Lamlai, Naoriya Pakhanglakpa and Singjamei, violence and tension had also gripped in the last few weeks.
Where is the question that the state is peaceful for the last five years? Still many of the critics called this government an ‘advertisement’ government though the party leaders including the CM himself denied such strong allegations in the Impact TV’s Special Broadcast on 19th January 2022. In addition, in higher education, job employment, media tolerance, health infrastructure, drinking water facility, etc. nothing has changed in the last five years of Manipur. While considering the implementation of ILP in Manipur, in an attempt to silence the shrill anti-CAB agitation and win over other sections of the society as supporters of CAB, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the extension of ILPS to Manipur by simply saying in the Parliament that “Mizoram is protected by ILP, which is a provision of Bengal Eastern Regulation Frontier Act, 1873.
Now keeping the sentiments of the state, we are taking Manipur too under ILP, by which a very serious problem of Manipur has been fixed. Hon’ble Speaker! These Manipuri people have been demanding it for a long time. And now, on behalf of the Manipuri people, I would like to pay huge respect to the Prime Minister” (December 9, 2019). Who is a Manipuri? Which is the base year that defines Manipuri are the basic fundamental questions that need to be kept while implementing the ILP system in Manipur. Such provisions are missing. It is just like a car driving without a wheel.
Furthermore, based on the reports of Public Affairs Index (PAI) of the Bengaluru based think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Manipur is the least developed small state in terms of governance. Where is the question of developmental works done by the present government for the last five years? People brood over these issues wisely and give their valuable votes for the upcoming 12th General Assembly Election 2022.
The NPP is emerging as a strong party with its collective and secular visions for the upcoming 12th General Assembly Election. Many scholars think that this party is being considered as the genuine one as it has the heart of regionalism under the dynamic National President Conrad Sangma. The Action Document 2022 of the NPP covers many crucial aspects of regionalism especially in the Manipur context for the repeal of AFSPA 1958.
Though it is an ally of the BJP-led coalition government, it has its specific priorities, considerations and emphasis on issues related to regional and regionalism. Many NPP leaders firmly believed that the party is eyeing to win at least 20 seats. Many survey reports indicate that there is a high chance of winnability of many candidates for the NPP especially Kshetrigao, Moirang, Mayang Imphal and Wangoi Assembly Constituencies. A notable section of the voters are explicitly giving priority to the regional and secular party rather than the alleged ‘B-Team’ party and its close associates for the upcoming 12th General Assembly Election in Manipur.
(The views exreressed peronnel,
