Manipur Polls: BJP lost several aspirants who were excluded from the candidate list for the elections.
Manipur is witnessing a spree of protests and resignations among the BJP's rank and file after the party announced its list of candidates for all 60 seats on Sunday.
Despite asking its ticket-seekers to sign a 'bond' of 'cooperation' even if they were denied a party ticket, the BJP saw a string of resignations nonetheless. Many BJP dissidents are making a beeline for the gates of another BJP ally -- Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United). The JD(U) has otherwise had minimal presence in Manipur, though the party has contested elections in the past.
Four BJP 'aspirants' joined Janata Dal (United) in Manipur late Sunday after being excluded from the list of BJP candidates for the upcoming Manipur Assembly election, said JD(U) sources.
BJP leaders Th Arunkumar of the Wangkhei assembly constituency, Nganbam Robert of the Singjamei constituency, Kh Suresh from the Uripok constituency, and supercop-turned-politician Th Brinda of the Yaiskul constituency -- were all denied party tickets.They in turn quit the BJP and joined the JD(U), sources further added.
JD(U) has already gained some strong candidates from other parties -- MLA from Congress Kh Joykishan Singh, former Congress MLA Muhammad Abdul Nasir and independent MLA Jiribam Ashab uddin also joined BJP. Former congressman Dwijamani Singh also joined Nitish Kumar's party.
Another key BJP ally, National People's Party (NPP), has also said that multiple BJP aspirants and a few members from Congress have been in touch for a 'switch over'.
A section of the Naga Peoples Front (NPF), that dominated the Naga tribe-inhabited areas of Manipur, are also miffed with their party and are in talks with the NPP, sources from the latter party added.