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Our Correspondent
Imphal, Jan. 24 (EMN): Close on the heels of releasing its 13 point manifesto called "Action Document 2022', the National People’s Party (NPP), a coalition partner in the BJP-led government in Manipur on Monday announced its first list of 20 candidates for the upcoming Manipur Assembly elections to be held on Feb. 27 and March 3.
Chairman of the Election Management Committee, Yumnam Joykumar Singh, who is also the NPP’s national vice-president, declared the list after approval by the NPP national president Conard K Sangma, the party’s chairman of central committee.
The first list includes three sitting MLAs, including the deputy chief minister, Yumnam Joykumar Singh, who will be contesting from his native Uripok assembly constituency in Imphal West district, while his MLA colleagues L Jayantakumar, a former Health minister and N Kayisii, a former Fisheries minister will contest from Keishamthong and Tadubi seats respectively.
The NPP list also includes one former legislator K Sarat Singh, who had contested on Congress ticket in the last assembly election, will be contesting from Konthoujam seat in Imphal West district.
Except the three sitting MLAs and one former MLA, the remaining 16 candidates are all new faces including two women candidates, Sumati Devi of Lamshang assembly constituency in Imphal West district and Nalini Devi of Oinam assembly constituency in Bishnupur district.
The new faces include L Jayananda (Khurai), Noorul Hassan (Kshetrigao), Md Nasiruddin Khan (Keirao), Oinam Romem Singh (Singjamei), H Vikramjit Singh (Yaiskul), K Nabakishore (Langthabal), Kh Loken (Wangoi), U Ramesh (Mayang Imphal), B Diten (Heirok), U Manglem (Wangjing-Tentha), M Ranjit (Wabagai), M Dhanabir (Hiyanglam),Th Shanti (Moirang) and Lunkhopao (Apao) Haokip (Chandel).
With the announcement, NPP becomes the second political party in poll bound Manipur after Congress to have announced its candidates for the state assembly elections.
The second list of the party will be announced before Jan. 31, according to a party source.
Earlier NPP’s national vice-president said that the party is planning to field around 40 candidates for the 60 seats. In the last elections, NPP won four seats.
On Jan. 22, Congress released its first list of 40 candidates, including former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh from Thoubal assembly seat and 19 new faces, for the Manipur assembly elections next month. Ibobi Singh was the chief minister of Manipur from 2017 to 2022.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP is also reportedly planning to announce the first list of candidates before Jan. 25. For this, the state chief minister, N Biren Singh along with the state’s BJP chief A Sharda Devi and other party leaders have been camping in New Delhi since Saturday.
It may be mentioned that another ruling partner, Naga Peoples' Front is also expected to announce its first candidates list by Feb. 2.