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BJP leader and Assam Finance Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma(right)accompanied by Manipur BJP chief Kh Bhabananda speaking to media in Imphal on Monday.[/caption]
Imphal, March 6 (IANS): Assam finance minister Hemanta Bishwa Sarma on Monday said that if the BJP forms the next government in Manipur, a CBI inquiry will be ordered into staged shootouts in the state.
Sarma made the remark while addressing a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party office here. Along with other BJP members, he has been touring Manipur before campaigning for the second and final phase of state assembly polls ends at 3 p.m. later on Monday.
People have demanded booking of those responsible for the killings in staged gun battles by security forces. Sarma said: "A police man close to the establishment is a suspect in a fake encounter (staged shootout)."
He added that the court has dismissed the interim anticipatory bail to the police officer now facing a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry. Referring to the high turnout of voters in the first phase, held on March 4, Sarma said people voted against the "corrupt Congress government".
Over 84 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase of elections to the Manipur Assembly, according to election officials.
In all, there were 168 candidates in the fray for Saturday's polls, out of which seven were women. Polling took place at 1,643 polling stations in 38 constituencies. The second and final phase of polling for 22 constituencies will be held on March 8.
Our Imphal correspondent says:
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Assam finance minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that BJP will defeat Naga People’s Front (NPF) and ruling Congress in the second and last phase of the 2nd phase of assembly elections in Manipur which will be held on March 8 next.
Hemanta Biswa who is one of BJP’s star campaigners in Manipur elections was addressing a press conference prior to the formal conclusion of poll campaign for the 2nd phase polls here this morning after attending a number of election rallies in the poll-bound constituencies in the state in the last few days. The press conference was attended by BJP Manipur leaders Kh Bhabananda, Th Chaoba, Th Biswajit.
While citing the high voters’ turn out in the first phase poll across 38 assembly constituencies in six districts in the state on March 4 as “significant,” he was confident of winning a good number of seats to form the next government in Manipur after the 2nd phase polls. For this, he said the BJP was in “business mood”.
The BJP will get more than 25 seats out of the total 38 in the first phase,, he claimed. Similarly, Sarma said, there will be “a tsunami” in second phase too.
But Manipur needs a healing touch to make it a developed state, he said and assured that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will support in all the national forums for the further development activities and BJP will also provide the same assistance.
Also, speaking to reporters the president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, TN Haokip rejected the Assam minister’s logic behind high voters’ turn out, saying that the turnout was simply an indication that the people wants to fight back all the “divisive forces”.
Stating that even though the BJP was in power in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Haokip said that it would not be possible here in Manipur “as Manipur is Manipur.” He was also confident that the Congress will form the next government.
Congress candidates Ng Bijoy, N Loken, Kh Devendro, Kh Joykishan, O Lukhoi, Dr I Ibohalbi, E Chand and RK Imo and others attended the press conference.
Expecting at least 23 or 24 seats out of the total 38 in the first phase of polling on March 4, the Manipur Congress chief informed that they’re confident of winning at least 40 seats (including 16 or 17 from the second phase) out of the 60 seats. .
