BJP set to win three seats; Independent gets one in Manipur bye-polls

Our Correspondent

Imphal, Nov. 10 (EMN): The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to bag three seats out of four assembly constituencies in the bye-elections in Manipur.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Oinam Lukhoi Singh was re-elected from his Wangoi assembly constituency in the bye-elections after he defeated his closest rival Khuraijam Loken Singh of National People’s Party (NPP) by a margin of 257 votes. Lukhoi got 10,960 votes while Loken secured 10,703 votes.

The opposition congress candidate Salam Joy Singh bagged third position with 5591 votes.

The bye-elections to four assembly constituencies–Lilong, Wangoi,Wangjing-Tentha and Saitu–in Manipur, where a total of 11 candidates battled it out on Saturday, were necessitated after their respective MLAs resigned from the Manipur Legislative Assembly in August this year. Last month, BJP candidate Ginsuanhau was elected unopposed from Singhat assembly constituency after his rival candidate withdrew nomination papers.

Like Lukhoi, BJP candidate Paonam Brojen won the Wangjing Tentha seat after defeating his nearest rival Indian National Congress M Hemanta.Brojen secured 15,321 votes while Hemanta got 13,808 votes.

On the other hand BJP candidate Ngamthang Haokip was leading by more than 12,000 votes from his lone rival Lamtinthang Haokip of Indian National Congress till the filing of the report. However the Lilong seat goes to Independent candidate Y Antas Khan who defeated Md Abdul Nasir, another independent candidate supported by the ruling front. Antas got 17,106 votes while Nasir bagged 14,028 votes.

The BJP-led government in the state is being supported by four MLAs each of NPP and Naga People’s Front, one each of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), one Independent and one unattached member.

In the run-up to the bye-elections, BJP candidate Mayanglangbam Rameshwar who secured second place in 2017 assembly elections was sworn in as MLA, after the election of congress candidate Y Surchandra in the same constituency was declared as null and void by a high court order.

With the BJP set to bag three seats, the present effective strength of 60 member Manipur Assembly now stands at 53 with BJP having 23 MLAs, INC with 17, four each of NPP and NPF, one each of LJP and AITC and one unattached member.