Reports of 266 nominations in Manipur so far

According to preliminary reports 266 candidates have filed nomination papers for the 60-member Manipur assembly polls on January 28 but the final count could be reached only after getting details from interior hill districts, election office sources said today.

Yesterday was the last date of filing nomination papers and scrutiny would be done today. The date of withdrawal was slated on January 14 next.

The exact number of candidates would be known only after scrutiny and compiling reports from returning officers posted in the interior areas, the election office said.

Ruling Congress has fielded candidates in all the 60 constituencies including Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, party President Gaikhangam and most of the ministers in the present government, sources said.

People's Democratic Front (formed by Manipur People's Party, NCP, Janata Dal (U), CPI(M) and state unit of Rashtraya Janata Dal) nominated candidates in all the constituencies.

The other major parties having fielded their candidates were BJP, Trinamool Congress, Manipur State Congress Party and others, sources said.

Meanwhile more than 102 companies out of 350 companies including 280 central para military forces have arrived here.

The other forces included armed police and security personnel from neighbouring states of Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, sources said.

Besides the Manipur Police and other armed personnel of the state would also be used in the elections which would take place on January 28.

Sources said some candidates had been asked not to campaign during night time because some major insurgent organisations had imposed 'ban' on Congress contestants and their campaigners.

Major insurgent outfits like United National Liberation, Revolutionary People's Front, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak and Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup had imposed the 'ban'. The outfuts had been on warpath since Manipur's merger with the union in 1949.