Imphal, March 22 The Congress-led 10-party alliance in Manipur on Friday announced candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Manipur Congress chief Keisham Meghachandra Singh announced that Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has been nominated for the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency while former MLA Alfred K. Arthur would contest from the Outer Manipur seat, reserved for the tribals.
The Congress leader was accompanied by leaders of 10 ally parties, which include the AAP, Trinamool Congress, CPI-M, CPI, Forward Bloc, RSP, Shiv Sena-UBT, Janata Dal-United and Nationalist Congress Party.
Though the ruling BJP is yet to announce its candidate for the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, its ally Naga People's Front (NPF) has announced that retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Kachui Timothy Zimik would be fielded as party nominee in the Outer Manipur constituency.
Zimik would replace the sitting NPF Lok Sabha member Lorho S. Pfoze.
BJP sources said that the party wanted to field Chief Minister N. Biren Singh from the Inner Manipur seat, dominated by the Meitei community, but he reportedly refused.
"If Biren Singh remained firm not to contest the parliamentary elections, the party leaders in Delhi either may renominate sitting Lok Sabha member and central minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh or field sitting MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh from the Inner Manipur constituency," the sources said.
Imo Singh is the son-in-law of the Chief Minister.
Elections to the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat are scheduled to be held on April 19 while the polling will take place in the Outer Manipur constituency in two phases on April 19 and April 26.
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