Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to embark on a campaign trail through Manipur, a region marred by ethnic tensions, on Monday. Additionally, he will make stops in Tripura and Rajasthan to rally support for BJP candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as per sources. In Imphal, Shah will address a rally advocating for votes for Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh, the incumbent education minister of Manipur and the BJP's candidate for the Inner Manipur constituency.
The seat is currently held by BJP leader and Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. The Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency encompasses 32 Assembly constituencies spread across the conflict-affected Imphal valley.
Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march was organised in the state's hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Since then, over 220 individuals have lost their lives amidst the ongoing violence. The BJP has opted not to nominate any candidate for the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat, the other constituency in the northeastern state. Instead, it has pledged support to the candidate of the Naga People's Front (NPF), its ally within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to be held in seven phases starting April 19 and the counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.