Lok Sabha election process in Manipur is heating up with two candidates filing nominations on March 25.
Polling in Manipur will be held in the first phase and second phase of the elections.
The candidates who filed their nominations were Kachui Timothy Zimik and Rajkumar Somendro Singh alias Kaiku.
Zimik, a resident of Sanakeithel village of Ukhrul district, filed his nomination as Naga People’s Front (NPF) candidate for contesting the elections from Outer Manipur (ST) parliamentary constituency at the office of the returning officer (RO) of the constituency at Thoubal DC office.
Rajkumar Somendro Singh alias Kaiku, a resident of Thangmeiband Maisnam Leikai of Imphal West district filed his nomination paper to the RO of Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency as a nominee of Manipur People’s Party (MPP).
Till date, only these two candidates have filed their nomination papers for the two Lok Sabha seats from Manipur. The last date for making nominations for both the seats is on March 27.
Even as only two days left until the last date of filing nomination papers, the ruling BJP is yet to announce the party’s nominee from the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency even though the party sources said that it will field a candidate.
A party source said that the name of the party nominee is likely to be announced ‘soon’.
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said that the BJP candidate for Inner Manipur seat will be announced on March 26. He added that the candidate will win the elections by a huge margin.
The saffron party had already announced supporting the NPF candidate in the Outer Manipur (ST) Parliamentary constituency.
The Congress had already announced the names of the candidates for the two seats. JNU professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam will be contesting the elections from Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency while Alfred Kangam Arthur will contest from the Outer Manipur seat.
They are yet to file their nomination papers.
The elections to the two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur will go in two phases, on April 19 and 26. While the Inner seat is to go to poll on April 19, the polling in the Outer seat will be held twice – April 19 and April 26.
The voting in Churachandpur, Chandel and Kangpokpi districts of the Outer Manipur (ST) Parliamentary Constituency will take place in the first phase along with the valley districts.
Of the six valley districts, Thoubal, Kakching and Jiribam districts are covered by the Outer Manipur (ST) Parliamentary constituency.
However, the voting in Jiribam district will take place in the second phase along with other hill districts of Pherzawl, Noney, Tamenglong, Senapati, Ukhrul, Kamjong and Tengnoupal districts.
While the last date of making nomination for candidates is on March 27, the scrutiny will be held on the next day (March 28) and the last date of withdrawal of candidatures for both the phases is March 30.
