Congress will be ousted from Manipur: BJP (Lead, correcting para 4)

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday exuded confidence that it will oust the ruling Congress government in the upcoming assembly elections in Manipur.

"A month from now, Manipuris will get a great opportunity to get rid of the corrupt and regressive Congress government and Okram Ibobi Singh," BJP national general secretary in-charge of northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav, said.

According to Madhav, the Congress government does not bother about its own people.

The BJP made it clear that the party will contest all 60 seats on its own. "The BJP is not having an alliance with the Naga People's Front and National People's Party (NPP), which are part of the NDA government at the Centre."

The NPF and NPP have fielded candidates in some of the constituencies.

Madhav made the remarks while addressing BJP workers after the inauguration of the party's regional office in Meghalaya's Garo Hills region.

He was accompanied by BJP national spokesperson and party in-charge in Meghalaya, Nalin Kohli, and BJP Meghalaya president Shibun Lyngdoh besides others.

"Ibobi Singh is continuing with his selfish and inhuman politics. The people of Manipur have realised this, and I am quite sure that one and a half months from now, when results will come out, you will find the state getting rid of this regressive government," Madhav said.

He claimed that the BJP will form the government in Manipur.

Continuing his attack on Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh for the ongoing economic blockade, the BJP leader said: "I am today making this allegation with all responsibility that he (Ibobi Singh) is responsible for the blockade in Manipur as he politically benefits from it."

"Just two months before the elections, Ibobi started acting in a manner that would lead the state into a crisis. The blockade is very unfortunate, and the groups that are enforcing the blockade must have ended it. But the Chief Minister cannot escape the responsibility for his inefficiency in tackling this problem," he said.

According to the leader, the central government has been providing all necessary assistance to Manipur, including additional security forces, to ensure the blockade ends, but even after the Centre's help, the Chief Minister could not end the blockade.

The United Naga Council on November 1 imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the Imphal-Dimapur (NH2) and Imphal-Jiribam (NH37) highways to protest against the Manipur government's move to create seven new districts by bifurcating the Naga-dominated areas.

Stating that it was only the BJP that can give the state a "bandh-free, blockade-free, development-focussed Manipur", the leader accused Ibobi Singh of not taking interest in resolving the issue.

"What matters to him are only votes. For the sake of his selfish electoral interest, he is ready to put the people through hardship and suffering," he said.

--IANS

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