Campaigning for by-polls in Manipur comes to an end

Campaigning of the November 7 by-polls in Manipur ended on Thursday at 5 pm.

By-polls will be held in four Assembly segments spread over three districts of the state.
The constituencies are Wangoi in Imphal West district, Lilong and Wangjing-Tentha in Thoubal district and Saitu in Kangpokpi district.

The by-polls were supposed to be held in five assembly constituencies. However, there will be no polling in Singhat constituency of Churachandpur district as the lone BJP candidate from this segment had already been declared elected uncontested after his lone rival who was an independent candidate withdrew his nomination paper.

Altogether 11 candidates – four from Congress, three from BJP, one from NPP and three independent candidates are in the fray in the four constituencies having altogether 1,31,512 voters.

Triangular fights among candidates of ruling BJP and independent candidates supported by the party will be witnessed in three constituencies –Wangoi, Wangjing-Tentha and Lilong constituency while straight fights between BJP and Congress in one constituency- Saitu of Kangpokpi district.

In Lilong assembly segment of Thoubal district where BJP did not field its candidate, the party is supporting independent candidate Md Abdul Nasir, who resigned as Congress MLA from the state Assembly, who is in the fray to retain the seat.

NPP, a partner of BJP in the N Biren Singh led coalition government, has fielded its candidate against Agriculture minister O Lukhoi in Wangoi constituency where Congress has also fielded former BJP state unit vice president Salam Joy Singh as party candidate.

The by-polls in these constituencies are to be held after Congress MLAs vacated their Assembly seats. 
Six Congress MLAs reigned from the state Assembly on August 10 last, and of them, five have joined the BJP and by-poll in one of the constituencies is pending along with seven others vacant seats of the state Assembly.

A total of 13 seats of the state Assembly are lying vacant. Seven of them are lying vacant after four Congress MLAs were disqualified as members of the Assembly by the Speaker and three after BJP legislators resigned.

However, the Election Commission of India is yet to announce the by-poll dates for the rest of the constituencies pending court cases and election petitions.

The voting on November 7 will start at 7 am and conclude at 5pm of the same day.

NNN