A prospective candidate in the seat reacted angrily to the opposition Congress party’s declaration of a pre-poll agreement with five political parties and their subsequent intention to back a common candidate in the upcoming Manipur assembly elections.
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After being refused a party ticket, veteran Congress politician Khuraijam Ratankumar Singh, who had been campaigning for the Khurai seat in the Imphal East district, resigned from the party on Thursday and announced his intention to join a national party to contest the forthcoming elections.
The Khurai Block Congress Committee (BCC) was dissolved following Ratankumar’s departure from the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee.
A major member of the Khurai BCC, who later resigned from the party, informed the media that they had been working hard when the Congress was in a bad situation for the past few years. However, they neglected his efforts and refused to recognise him.
In the presence of leaders from political parties, MPCC president N Loken Singh announced a pre-poll coalition with the CPI, CPI(M), Revolutionary Socialist Party, Janata Dal (S), and Forward Block on Thursday.
He further stated that the Congress will back their joint candidate (CPI candidate) in the Khurai seat, while the party will compete in a friendly election in Kakching.
Another intending Congress candidate and former congress legislator from Hiyanglam had already expressed his disappointment with the grand old party’s decision to omit his name from the party’s first 40 candidates list.
The Congress published the names of 40 candidates for the Manipur assembly elections on January 22. Twelve are existing MLAs, nine are ex-MLAs, and the remaining 19 are newcomers.
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Similarly, the National People’s Party, which is part of the BJP-led government’s alliance, just revealed the names of 20 candidates. However, the ruling BJP and its ruling ally, the Naga People’s Front, have yet to release their list.
