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Imphal, March 2 (EMN): Stating that Congress will sweep Thoubal district in the second phase of the elections in the state, Jairam Ramesh, senior observer for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) said that “Thoubal is not just the stronghold of rice production but the stronghold of the Congress,” he claimed and added that Congress is equal to rice in Manipur.
He was addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Imphal on Wednesday.
The AICC leader promised that there will be no shortage of urea once the grand old party comes to power and that Congress is committed to making Manipur self-sufficient in rice production and maximum support price for farmers besides focussing on horticulture in the hills.
Countering the charges levelled by Union home minister Amit Shah, he said congress unites, Manipur BJP divides.
Stating that six Autonomous District Councils (ADC) were set up to fulfill the aspirations of the people of the hill areas under Article 371 C of the constitution “But no election to the ADC was held in the state,” he charged.
Interestingly congress legislature party leader Okram Ibobi Singh, who is the longest serving chief minister of the state from 2002 to 2017, is contesting from Thoubal assembly constituency.
BJP’s Leitanthem Basanta Singh who lost in the last elections, is expected to be his nearest rival in the constituency. In 2017 assembly elections, Congress bagged a total of eight seats out of ten seats in Thoubal district.
It may be mentioned that Congress has been demanding re-poll in the nine assembly constituencies of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party demanded repoll in 23 polling stations in Saitu and Saikul assembly constituencies.
The demand of the congress was conveyed by the AICC senior observer Jairam Ramesh in the day’s press conference at Congress Bhavan in Imphal.
Four candidates -- TT Haokip of Shiv Sena, Nehminthang Haokip of the National People’s Party, T Manga Vaiphei of the Congress and Genneikhup Vaiphei of the Janata Dal-United -- demanded repoll in 23 polling stations of Henglep assembly constituency in Churachandpur district.
Congress candidate Th Lokeshor Singh of Khundrakpam assembly constituency also demanded repoll at Sarouthel Primary School and Cosmopolitan Primary School polling stations in Khundrakpam constituencies.