We are No B Team to BJP in Manipur, Clarifies NPP; Raises Concern on Militant Threats

A day ahead of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Convenor and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s visit to Imphal on Wednesday, BJP’s ally in the ruling government of Manipur, the National People’s Party (NPP) makes it clear that it’s not a “B” team to BJP.

“We have been very clear and we have stood our grounds wherever we have needed to. We have challenged the stance that the BJP has taken sometimes if it goes against our ideology and the interest of our people, our state and our region. Just because we work in a coalition with them to tag us as a “B” team is completely incorrect. We are very clear to strengthen the party and take out party forward,” said Conrad K Sangama, Chief Minister of Meghalaya and the National President of NPP.

In a press communique, the NPP on February 9 raised its serious concern on the ongoing intimidation and abuse being exercised in a targeted manner by several militant outfits in Manipur against the party and its candidates in different constituencies. The release read that outfits namely, KNF-MC, KNF-Z, UKLF, KNA and HPC (D) have openly come out in blatant support of our opponent’s candidates from BJP and NPF.

“In the 55-Tipaimukh constituency, the cadres of militant outfits HPC (D) is moving around with arms intimidating the voters and village chiefs to vote for BJP candidates. The underground group like KNA and UKLF under Suspension of Operation (SOO) is threatening our party workers and village chief to support BJP candidate Letpao Haokip at the 42 – Tengnoupal AC. At Tamenglong constituency, outfits under SOO are campaigning strongly for NPF and BJP candidates,” Sangama said.

“The outfit has warned our party workers of dire consequences. On February 6, the KNF-MC and KNF-Z leaders Paokholen Haokip, Jangkhonlum Haokip and Lunmang Haokip have threatened our workers and village chief to vote for BJP candidate Letzamang Haokip of 57-Henglep AC,” he said.

“The outfit members had halted six women NPP workers and two drivers at Lamden Kuki village and threatened to shoot them if they campaign for NPP candidate. We have complained about the incidents of attacks and threats issued to our candidates to the Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur State and the Election Commission of India. The ongoing situation is an attempt to jeopardise the conduct of peaceful, free and fair elections in the State of Manipur,” Sangama said.

In his visit to Manipur recently, Conrad Sangma harped that NPP which has fielded 43 candidates, would be the single-largest party in the 60-member Manipur Assembly and would lead the government after the February 27 and March 3 polls. With four MLAs, the NPP has been an ally of the BJP-led government in Manipur since 2017. Many senior BJP leaders, including Ningthoujam Mangi, S Sovachandra, Lourembam Sanjoy Singh and Thangjam Arunkumar, recently joined the NPP after failing to get a berth within their previous political affiliations.

Meanwhile, the NEDA convenor and Chief Minister of Assam is in Manipur. Often deemed as the Chanakya of the northeast, Dr Biswa Sarma shall meet the BJP leaders to finalise the poll strategy. It needs mention that in the 2017 election, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma played a pivotal role in bringing BJP into power. His negotiation with NPP and bringing legislative party members of the independent and smaller parties into the greater circumference enabled BJP to make its debut in Manipur. He not only helped BJP to spread its wings in the northeast but denied an almost certain Congress to form its successive government.

“Northeast politics today is inseparable of Himanta Biswa Sarma. He is in Imphal for the day to finalise BJP’s poll strategy. We are confident of making it this time all by ourselves.

NPP which got four seats last time will not fare this time too. Their figures shall further dwindle. In the hill district, we shall have a fair chance as the insurgency has gone down and we have taken development into the interior region of the state. People of the state trust and want BJP and who else than Assam Chief Minister can gauge and amplify the public sentiments,” said Numal Momin, senior BJP MLA from Assam, who is camping in Manipur to oversee BJP poll preparations.

It was during the mid-summer of 2020 for the BJP-led government and primarily for Chief Minister N Biren Singh when four NPP MLAs including a couple of ministers decided to withdraw support to the government. It was NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma and Sangma then who held several rounds of meetings with the disgruntled MLAs and party officials in Imphal to balm sores and keep the BJP boat sailing smooth.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, who is also the BJP Manipur in charge, said, “The decision to choose the chief minister candidate of BJP will be taken by the central leadership.” Like earlier in Assam, BJP in Manipur has kept the name of its chief ministerial candidate close to its chest.

Bhupendra Yadav, however, contended that the BJP-led government in the state has witnessed a great improvement in its five-year tenure under the leadership of Biren and he is also leading the BJP Manipur in the ensuing election.

He added that the actual campaign of the BJP shall initiate after the last day for the withdrawal of candidates, that is February 11 for the first phase and February 16 for the second phase.

On the delay in publishing BJP’s election manifesto when most of its rival parties have done it, Bhupendra said, “We do not want everything to go in a dash. Unlike other political parties, our manifesto is being prepared in the public interest by taking suggestions from the CSOs, stakeholders, sportsmen, academicians among others.”

The Union Minister stressed that in this budget, the central government is greatly focused on Manipur as it is a corridor to South-East Asia, informing the inclusion of Rs 560 crore for the upgradation of RIMS including provisions for sports medicine. He stated that a new scheme named “PM DevINE” with an allocation of Rs 1,500 crore will be implemented through the North-Eastern Council to fund infrastructure, in the spirit of PM GatiShakti.

Reflecting the true spirit of cooperative federalism, the central government enhanced the outlay for the “Scheme for Financial Assistance to States for Capital Investment” from Rs 10,000 crore in the Budget Estimates to Rs 15,000 crore in the Revised Estimates for the current year, informed Bhupendra Yadav.

Moreover, for 2022-23, the allocation is Rs 1 lakh crore to assist the states in catalysing overall investments in the economy, he said, adding in this way Manipur will get a very good share and benefits.