Newmai News Network
Imphal | October 11
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced names of candidates for the by-election in Manipur. The Central Election Committee of the BJP declared the names of the candidates late Saturday night for four constituencies but left out the Lilong constituency.
As per the list, Ginsuanhau, Ngamthang Haokip, Paonam Brojen and O Lukhoi will contest the by-elections from Singhat (Churachandpur district), Saitu (Kangpokpi district), Wangjing-Tentha (Thoubal district) and Wangoi (Imphal West district) respectively. The four candidates were among the six Congress MLAs who resigned from the state Legislative Assembly on August 10 last to save the BJP-led coalition government when a confidence motion was moved in the house of the state Assembly on the same day.
Meanwhile, BJP workers in Lilong Assembly constituency of Thoubal district on Sunday protested when the BJP failed to name the party's candidate to be contested from the constituency in the upcoming by-election. Lilong assembly constituency is among the five Assembly constituencies where by-elections are to be held on November 7 as announced by the Election Commission of India recently.
Whether the party will field its candidate in the Lilong constituency could not be confirmed from the state BJP even as workers and supporters of the party have been strongly demanding fielding the party's candidate in the constituency.
Registering strong resentment against the non-announcement of the party's candidate for the constituency, BJP workers and supporters on Sunday rose up in anger and staged protests at various places. They alleged that the BJP Central Election Committee did not name the party's candidate from the constituency due to non-recommendation by the state unit of the party.
"Failure to name the party's candidate shows the BJP's attitude of looking down upon the minority community," one of the protestors alleged.
A protester demanded that the state BJP president and the chief minister must clarify on the matter while threatening to continue the protest until the two leaders clarify the matter.
