In Manipur, Congress vs BJP Over Poll Code "Violations"; Cop Action Over "Threat" To Chief Minister

The Imphal East district election officer has ordered the Manipur Police to take action against an independent candidate for threatening to "kill the Chief Minister" while speaking in a local TV show, as the act violated the model code.

In a separate matter, the Congress in Manipur has written to the state chief electoral officer alleging violation of the model code by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who belongs to the BJP, by inviting hundreds of supporters for nearly a week to his official bungalow.

In the first matter, district election officer Khumanthem Diana Devi in a letter to the police chief said the candidate Moirangthem Totomshana Nongshaba, during a discussion on the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, threatened Chief Minister N Biren Singh to resign, or else he would "kill" the Chief Minister.

The show organisers had condemned the comments and told Mr Nongshaba to withdraw the comment.

"I am to bring to your notice the live telecast show on April 2 wherein a candidate namely Moirangthem Totomsana made derogatory statement against Chief Minister Manipur by violating the provisions of the model code of conduct," Ms Diana said in the letter to the police. "He even threatened the Chief Minister with physical harm by telling that he will kill him whenever he gets a chance, which amounts to an attack on the personal life of a person," the district election officer said.

She told the police to send an action-taken report by Friday.

The BJP strongly criticised Mr Nongshaba for his comments. "We strongly condemn the verbal threat made by one independent candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and want legal measures to be taken up against him," state BJP vice president Ch Chidananda Singh told news agency PTI.

State Congress Alleges Poll Code Violation

The Congress in the letter to the Manipur chief electoral officer alleged the Chief Minister invited huge crowds to his official bungalow ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"The reason for their visit to the Chief Minister's bungalow was not known to the public as the same was not published in the media with their intention, but everybody knows the reason behind their visit... by engaging many buses and many other transport vehicles," the Manipur Congress legal department vice president Rabi Khan said in the letter, also marked to the Election Commission of India.

Campaigning in Manipur has been muted as the state is yet to recover from the ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meitei community.

Arambai Tenggol (AT), a Meitei youth group that faces allegations of taking up arms and attacking Kuki-Zo villages, had made a public call asking political parties not to take out large, noisy election campaigns at a time when thousands are living in difficult conditions in relief camps. A video surfaced on social media in which the leader the AT himself, however, was seen giving a political speech. The AT claims it is a village defence volunteer group, same as those from the Kuki-Zo tribes who have set up bunkers on the hills.  

Manipur has two Lok Sabha seats - Inner Manipur, and Outer Manipur. The entire Inner Manipur constituency and some areas under Outer Manipur will vote on April 19. The remaining areas under Outer Manipur will vote on April 26. Votes will be counted on June 4.

The key candidates are Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh (BJP), Angomcha Bimol Akoijam (Congress), and Maheshwar Thounaojam of the Republican Party of India (Athawale).