Will BJP be able to recreate 'Assam magic' in Manipur elections?

After winning the Assam polls last year, the BJP is hoping to win another northeastern state by emerging victorious in Manipur assembly elections.

Imphal, March 3: Till recently, the Bharatiya Janata Party hardly had any hold over the entire northeast region. However, things are fast changing. After sweeping the Assam Assembly elections 2016, the saffron party is eyeing to come to power in Manipur. The assembly elections in the sensitive state are scheduled on March 4 and 8.

The BJP is leaving no stone unturned as its top leadership--Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to name a few--have campaigned in the state. Moreover, national general secretary of the BJP, Ram Madhav, has been personally monitoring all the campaigning activities in Manipur. In fact, it was Madhav only who was credited of helping the BJP win the assembly polls in Assam for the first time. The Assam assembly election win was the first time that the BJP won a legislative poll in the entire northeast region.

The former member of the national executive of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Madhav is said to be the brain behind selecting candidates to contest polls to the nature of campaign issues to be addressed by BJP leaders. This time, the BJP has been vociferously targeting the incumbent Congress government in Manipur for massive corruption and lack of development in the state.

Main election issues

Recently, when the Prime Minister addressed a poll rally in the capital city Imphal he mostly targeted Chief Minister Ibobi Singh for his alleged role in misappropriation of state funds and minimal development in the state. However, poll pundits say this time the main election issue is the ongoing economic blockade in the state that has brought life to a standstill in Manipur.

"Manipur elections are a complex business. The state has several issues---militancy, corruption, lack of development, Armed Forces Special Powers Act and economic blockade, to name a few. This time, the main election issue is the ongoing blockade that both the state government and the Centre have failed to address," said an Imphal-based editor.

He added that situation in Assam and Manipur are different. "Voters in Assam were massively tired of CM Tarun Gogoi's government. Gogoi continuously ruled the state for 15 years. However, the state saw any noticeable development. Moreover, the Hindu voters cast their votes for the BJP and PM Modi during Assam polls. The same can't be said about the nature of complex politics in Manipur. We have to wait and watch till results are declared on March 11."

OneIndia News