Assam CM pitches for BJP candidates in Manipur

Imphal, Feb. 22 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday accused the ruling Congress government in Manipur of not giving “positive response” in connection with the setting up of a national sports university.

Sonowal levelled the accusation during an election campaign for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in the Manipur assembly elections, scheduled for March 4 and the 8th next.

With the election campaign in the state gaining momentum, Sonowal arrived here to attend public meetings organized for BJP candidates at Keirao constituency in Imphal East district Langthabal and Sagolband constituencies in Imphal West district. He was accompanied by some leaders from Assam.

Addressing the public meeting at Sagolband area in the afternoon, he called upon the people to support the BJP as the party was the “only alternative for a value based life and quality co-existence” in Manipur alleging that the ruling Congress government in Manipur had encouraged “corruption culture”.

He also alleged that his Manipur counterpart is not taking up the “state subjects” while the state is reeling under 3 months long economic blockade. Manipur is presently reeling under indefinite economic blockade by United Naga Council in protest against the creation of Sadar Hills and Jiribam into full fledged districts, since November 1 last year.

Interestingly Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi while speaking at a manifesto releasing function here on Monday,had already charged the centre of doing “politics” over the sports university alleging that centre is not introducing a Bill in connection with the setting up of varsity.

Also, the minister of Railways (state) and BJP leader Rajen Gohain, an MP from Naogaon, addressed media persons in the afternoon. He said that the 111km Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway project will help Manipur ‘a lot’ as the state continues to reel from the indefinite economic blockade since November last year. Saying that though the ongoing blockade had affected construction works, he claimed they will be completed as scheduled (Jiribam-Tupul line within December 2018 and Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal by December 2019).

50 injured in accident
Meanwhile, as many as 50 persons, mostly BJP supporters were injured when a mini-truck carrying members to an election rally at Singhat,a sub-divisional headquarters, about 90km south of Imphal in Churachandpur district, met with a mishap near Behiang, a remote village along the Indo-Myanmar border on Wednesday morning, reports from Churachandpur said.