Imphal: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) is open for pre-poll alliance with like-minded political parties in the state, according to its working president K Meghachandra.
Addressing a press conference at Imphal Congress Bhavan in Imphal today, the MPCC working president said that the party has a plan to field candidates in all the 60 Assembly constituencies. However, the party is ready to spare some constituencies if a pre-poll alliance with other like-minded political parties is materialized. A decision in this regard will be taken soon, he further said.
Meghachandra then informed the media that MPCC convened a meeting today and deliberated on the matter minutely. The meeting further discussed the selection of candidates of the party to be fielded in the ensuing elections.
Meghachandra then said that the MPCC will prepare a probable list of the individuals who applied for contesting as official nominees of the Congress and forwarded to the AICC high command for finalization. After getting approval from the AICC, the MPCC will declare the list of party candidates for the Assembly constituency going to poll in the first phase soon.
Mention may be made here that as many as 78 intending candidates of the ensuing poll have applied for Congress ticket.
Also read: ATSUM opposes Sunday as polls day, urges EC to reschedule date
Meanwhile, the Congress party in Manipur will write to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to re-schedule the poll date of the first phase which falls on Suinday. Meghachandra said that the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) will write to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in this regard as February 27, the date of the first phase of polling in the state falls on Sunday, which is an important day of worship for the Christians.
Manipur will go to the polls in two phases — February 27 (Sunday) and March 3 — to elect 60 legislators of the state Assembly. Of these total seats, 20 constituencies are reserved seats for the Scheduled Tribes in hill districts, predominantly Christians.
The congress leader said that Sunday being an important day for the Christian community, the ECI must consider another day for the poll.
The MPCC will send a formal letter to the ECI for the same, Meghachandra added.
Mention may be made that many tribal based bodies including students’ bodies have been demanding rescheduling of the poll date for the first day.
While demanding rescheduling, the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) had said that tribal constitute around 43% of the state’s population and for Christians, “Sunday is a day that is holy and sacred and is also a day for rest and worship”.
Echoing ATSUM, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) had also raised a strong objection to the ECI poll date while asserting that it is bound to hurt religious sentiments.
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