Our Correspondent
Imphal, March 12 (EMN): The All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Manipur, Bhakta Charan Das, on Saturday demanded the settlement of Naga political issue as well as the demands of Kuki militant outfits at the earliest.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Imphal on Saturday, Das alleged that BJP had used Naga and Kuki militant outfits to garner votes to come to power in the state.
‘Now, we strongly demand that the demands of Kuki militant outfits be settled at the earliest to resolve the Kuki problems,’ he said.
The senior Congress leader also claimed that organised crime and violence had never happened in the history of Manipur elections or any other part of the country.
‘The sudden steep increase of vote in the last one hour of the polling day to the extent of 10-12% shows that the voting was heavily managed to favour the BJP candidates,’ he alleged.
‘The criminal intimidation to the common people who want to vote for the INC (Indian National Congress) candidates and silence of the officials to complaints of crimes and intimidation shows that the entire election machinery was explicitly supporting BJP candidates,’ he further alleged.
Claiming that the postal ballot voting in Manipur was fraudulent, the Congress leader said these votes that were supposed to be counted before the EVM votes was not added to the total votes.
When asked about the party's organisational restructuring plan if any, he replied that it will be discussed at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, adding that the review of all the candidates have been taken up besides examining every aspect.
On the Congress's defeat in the recently concluded Manipur polls, where the party secured only five seats against 28 in 2017 elections, he said that they accepted the mandate of the people.
He claimed that it was a ‘managed mandate, but ‘we respect the verdict of the people of Manipur'.
When asked about the role Congress would play now, he said it would take up all the narratives of the state which the BJP failed to.
"Congress will continue to take up the issues of Manipur aggressively and with new energy at the state and block levels," he stated.
Earlier, during a press conference, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president N Loken, said that he was surprised by the results of Nambol seat, where he lead in just six polling booths against his rival BJP candidate’s 39.
‘It has never happened in the history of elections in Nambol constituency,’ said the five-time legislator from Nambol.
Congress legislature party leader and former CM Okram Ibobi Singh, MLA-elect K Meghachandra from Wankhem, former Lok Sabha MP Dr. Th Meinya, MPCC working president T Mangibabu and others were also present at the press conference.
The BJP won 32 seats in the 60-member Manipur assembly in the recently concluded elections, while Congress and Naga People's Front secured five seats each. The National People's Party (NPP) became the second largest party after winning seven seats, followed by Janata Dal (United) with six seats, while Kuki People's Alliance got two and Independent candidates three.