People leave BJP due to militant threat in Manipur

Imphal, May 21 : Most of the BJP party workers have deserted the Manipur unit of the party and joined other parties due to threat by militant group the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL).

The problem stemmed due to the entry of former Union Minister T H Chaoba into the party as he was on the hit list of the KYKL. He had contested in the last Lok Sabha elections. Former Manipur DGP L Jugeshore, a relative of Chaoba, was shot dead during the elections for ''supporting'' him.

During the panchayat elections in January, the party was forced to remove Chaoba from the party. After his removel as president in January, the KYKL allowed the BJP candidates to contest. It, however, said Mr Chaoba should be expelled permanently from the party.

The problem resurfaced as the Imphal Municipal Council elections are scheduled to held on May 31. Fourteen candidates were put up.

However, ten candidates suddenly declared their candidature as Independents.

The remaining four BJP candidates could not do election campaigns due to the threat. The KYKL had allegedly banned Mr Chaoba from all public activities for his ''misdeeds and corrupt practices'.

BJP MLA M Bhorot said the KYKL had intimated that the party should not put up any candidates as it did not expel Mr Chaoba.

Party leaders said the state unit could not remove Mr Chaoba due to his stature as a leader and the party central leadership could only take a decision in this regard.

Most state leaders, however, said the problem existed before Chaoba entered the party.

UNI