Manipur polls: Slugfest between Congress and BJP

[caption id="attachment_100540" align="alignnone" width="560"] AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi during an election rally in Imphal on Tuesday.[/caption]   Imphal, Feb. 28: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in his election campaign over the upcoming Manipur assembly elections here on Tuesday strongly defended prime minister Narendra Modi’s corruption charges against chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh. Manipur will go to polls on March 4 and 8 to elect 60 members to the assembly. Addressing a well-attended election rally at Hafta Kangjeibung in Imphal, he said: “First Modiji should bring the evidence before accusing Ibobiji (on corruption charges).” Modi, in his February 25 speech at Imphal, had claimed that to get any work done in Manipur people pay 10 per cent commission, alleging that jobs were categorized on the basis of ‘rates’ of bribes. Showing some documents, Gandhi demanded investigation on the seizure of some "official” notes found by Income Tax department that showed that some companies had made nine payments to Modi in 2014. Manipur represents the last bastion of Congress in the northeast after Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were whisked away by the BJP. Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has been in power since 2002 and is aiming for a fourth consecutive term. Countering Modi’s remark that people were made to live in darkness due to erratic power supply in Manipur, he said the prime minister was confused over the power reform model of Manipur which even the UK prime minister had termed as the best model after pre-paid power supply was introduced. On the reported signing of ‘Naga accord’, he claimed only Modi knows the 'details of it’. “Ministers in the government are not even aware when inquired not to speak of Congress leaders. Why not the people of Manipur and chief minister are informed?” he questioned and asked the people to ask for clarity when Modi comes next. “However Congress party will protect the territorial integrity of Manipur at any cost,” he assured. “Congress won’t let this happen even if they (BJP) try to enforce their ideology by disrespecting communal harmony of Manipur.” But he did not mention anything on the ongoing 3-month blockade during his 25 minutes speech. Chief minister O Ibobi, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president TN Haokip, deputy chief minister Gaikhangam also spoke at the rally attended by AICC leader CP Joshi and Congress party candidates. While Rahul Gandhi was addressing an election rally in Imphal, BJP president Amit Shah also addressed rallies at two picturesque places – Kangpokpi, a hill town, about 45 km north of Imphal and Moirang, a town located on the banks of Loktak Lake, 40 km south of Imphal in Bishnupur district on Tuesday. In the both places, Amit Shah came down heavily on ruling the Congress party alleging that the state government was not taking any development works be it road and connectivity or drinking water supply etc despite being in power for 15 years. Accusing the Congress government in Manipur as the most corrupt government, he said people call it 10 percent government because of its alleged practice of taking percentage cuts to get the works done. Shah also promised that blockade will be lifted once BJP comes to power besides making Manipur a model state because of its potentials. No bandh will also be allowed in five years, he said. “As assured by the prime minister, I assure that the territorial integrity of Manipur will not be compromised at any cost,” the BJP chief said while commenting on the issues of framework agreement signed between the NSCN-IM and the Centre. Assam finance minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma along with state BJP leaders led by president Kh Bhabananda and party spokesperson and former MP Kim Gante spoke at Kangpokpi rally while BJP Manipur leaders including Th Chaoba and other party candidates of different constituencies also addressed the Moirang rally.