Manipur assembly polls: NPF candidate files nomination; BJP, MPP announce its candidates

Our Correspondent

Imphal, March 21 (EMN):  Dr. Lorho S Pfoze, a candidate for Naga People’s Front (NPF), another coalition partner of the BJP led ruling government in Manipur on Thursday filed his nomination for the outer Manipur parliamentary constituency.

Official sources from Thoubal district headquarters said that Dr. Pfoze,a resident of Kayinu village under Mao constituency of Senapati district filed a nomination paper on Thursday as NPF candidate.

His candidature was proposed by Gaidon Kamei from Nungba constituency under Noney district.

It has informed that filing of nomination papers for the two parliamentary seats (inner and outer Manipur) will be closed from March 22 to 24, due to Yaosang festival and holidays.

The last date of filing nomination is March 25.

Scrutiny will be held on the following day and the last date of withdrawal of candidature is March 28.

Meanwhile, The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Manipur People’s Party (MPP) have announced the names of their candidates to contest for outer ad inner Manipur parliamentary constituencies.

BJP has RK Ranjan has been named as candidate for inner seat while H Shokhopao Mate (Benjamin) as candidate for outer seat while MPP, one of the oldest regional political parties in eastern India named its president O Jugindro as its candidate for inner Manipur seat and Laikham Kaipu from Chandel district as candidates for outer seat.

The opposition party is yet to announce the names of their candidates. However, it is speculated that ex-chief secretary of the state O Nabakishore may get the ticket for the inner seat.

Earlier, the Communist Party of India had named former minister and senior communist leader Dr. Moirangthem Nara as its candidate for the inner Manipur parliamentary seat.

National People’s Party (NPP), a coalition partner of the ruling BJP-led government in Manipur also named former Minister Thangminlien Kipgen as its candidate for outer seat in the recent past.

It may be mentioned that in the last Lok Sabha polls, Congress won both the inner and outer Manipur parliamentary constituencies.

Five Congress MLAs join NEIDP

Five former Congress MLAs on Thursday joined the North East India Development Party (NEIDP), a Manipur based regional political party during a function held at the NEIDP office, Sagolband in Imphal.

The former legislators are Dr. Ng Bijoy of Khurai, RK Anandof Naoriya Pakhanglakpa, Dr. I Ibohalbi of Oinam, E Chand of Yaiskul and K Sharat of Konthoujam constituencies.

Earlier, Dr. Bijoy, a former MLA from Imphal east district was among the seven Congress party ticket seekers for Lok Sabha polls from inner Manipur parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, the NEIDP appointed Dr. Bijoy as the state unit president.

The party also named former MLA RK Anand from Naoriya Pakhanlakpa constituency and Ashang Kasar of Phungyar assembly constituency as their candidates for inner and outer Manipur parliamentary constituencies for the upcoming 17th Lok Sabha elections.

The polling is scheduled to be held on April 11 for outer-seat while for inner-seat will be conducted on April 18.