JOIN USBJP will not get double digit mark in Manipur: Nitish Kumar's JD (U)
Nitish Kumar-led Janta Dal (United), which is an ally of BJP in Bihar and at the Centre has claimed that the saffron party will not get double digit mark in Manipur Assembly elections due to strong anti-incumbancy.
"People are seething with anger and a wave of anti-incumbancy is sweeping through the hills and the valley in Manipur for compromising the Constitutional institutions like the office of the Speaker. People are bent upon teaching the ruling party a lesson by showing its right place in this election. I challenge that the ruling party will not cross the single digit mark in this election," Afaque Ahamad Khan, JD (U) general secretary in-charge of Northeast said.
JD (U) is contesting in 38 of Manipur's 60 Assembly seats and has given tickets to at least 12 former MLAs, who quit BJP and Congress. The party has even given ticket to Thounaojam Brinda, a former woman police officer, who had alleged Chief Minister N. Biren Singh's nexus with drug smugglers network. Brinda is contesting in Yaiskul constituency.
Khan hit out at Assam CM and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma alleging that he and CM N. Biren Singh had broken other parties in order to get majority in Manipur. In 2017, BJP got 21 seats while Congress emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats. But BJP formed government with the help of National People's Party, Naga People's Front and a few Congress MLAs who defected to BJP. NPP and NPF had won four seats each.
"Himanta Biswa Sarma is known for breaking parties not only in Manipur but elsewhere in the Northeast. Despite having two-third majority in Arunachal Pradesh (40 out of 60), Sarma weaned away six out of seven JD (U) MLAs. No wonder he was gifted with the CM post in Assam," Khan said in a statement.
Assembly elections in Manipur is scheduled for February 28 and March 4. BJP is contesting in all 60 seats and has set a target for absolute majority this time.
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