Eastern Mirror Nagaland

IMPHAL, JAN 27 (IANS): Manipur goes to polls on Saturday in the shadow of bomb attacks by militants to mark the start of crucial Assembly elections. A total of 279 candidates, including 14 women, are in the fray for Saturday’s polls to the 60-member assembly in Manipur, battling debilitating blockades and dragging insurgency. A total of 1.7 million people are eligible to vote in 2,357 polling booths in the state. For most, the biggest issues are shutdowns, with an over 120-day blockade last year having created huge hardships.
While the ruling Congress is trying hard to make it to a third consecutive term, opposition parties have formed a five-party alliance to prevent the ruling party from making it a hat-trick. Five parties Manipur People’s Party (MPP), Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Janata Dal-United and the Communist Party of India-Marxist  have forged the People’s Democratic Front (PDF).
MPP has also reached an understanding on seats with the Bharatiya Janata Party in constituencies where its partners are not contesting. The Communist Party of India and the Trinamool Congress have decided to go it alone. Campaigning for the polls ended Thursday evening. Although confident of a third time victory, the ruling Congress is worried over the “ban” clamped on it by seven major militant outfits.
The militants have also launched a series of grenade and bomb attacks on Congress candidates, leaders and supporters. The weakness of the opposition parties is evident from the fact that they cannot take on the Congress singlehandedly. Chief Minister Okram Ibibi Singh is the biggest plus point for the Congress, having changed the politics of Manipur by bringing stability to it. In 2007, Ibobi Singh became the first chief minister in the state to complete a five-year term in office. However, there are minus points too. Both terms of Ibobi Singh were marked by widespread protests against the government over the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) after the alleged rape and killing of a woman, Manorama Devi, by Assam Rifles personnel in 2004.
However, the chief minister scored when he prevented National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN)-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah from entering Manipur in May 2010. People hailed him then as the only leader who could challenge the NSCN-IM, which threatened Manipur’s territorial integrity.
Another factor that marks the Manipur elections this time is the entry of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) - Nagaland’s ruling party - into electoral politics in Manipur.
Reports reaching the state capital indicated that insurgent organisations might target some poll candidates as there have been a spate of blasts in the past few days.
Only this morning a person was injured when militants exploded a bomb at the house of a former Manipur government official at Thangmeiband in Imphal West district.  Official sources said the militants lobbed the bomb at the house of Bilasini Devi, a doctor, whose husband had contested the last elections.
Militants also exploded a powerful bomb in the capital complex here on the Republic Day yesterday, but no casualty was reported. They exploded two powerful bombs at Kakwa in Imphal West district on January 25 night.