Manipur Assembly polls: BJP names all 60 candidates, CM Biren Singh to fight from Heingang constituency

New Delhi: With Assembly elections around the corner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday (January 30) released the list of all 60 candidates for Manipur. 

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has been fielded from Heingang Assembly constituency. Out of the 60 candidates, only three women have been given tickets–  Nemcha Kipgen from Kangpokpi, S.S. Olish from Chandel and Soraisam Kebi Devi from Naoriyapakhanglakpa.

Union minister and Manipur election in-charge Bhupender Yadav with state in-charge Sambit Patra released the BJP candidates’ list in Delhi. "Mostly those who have long association and worked for a long time with the party in Manipur have been given tickets. Only two sitting MLAs have been replaced with new faces," Yadav was quoted as saying by IANS.

Three former IAS officers— Dinganglung Gangmei (Dipu) from Nungba, Yengkhom Surchandra Singh from Kakching and Raghumani Singh from Uripok— will also contest the upcoming polls.

BJP announces candidates for all 60 Assembly seats in Manipur, CM N Biren Singh to contest from Heingang constituency

(File photo) pic.twitter.com/XF0HoESeye

— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2022

Election to 60-member Manipur assembly will be held in two phases— on February 27 in 38 assembly constituencies and on March 3 in the remaining 22 seats. 

In the 2017 Assembly election, the BJP had bagged only 21 seats and managed to form the government with the support of smaller parties and independent MLAs. While Congress which had emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats, failed to form the government.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has banned exit polls for five states— Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur— that will witness elections in the coming days. The publishing of exit polls has been prohibited from 7.00 am on February 10 to 6.30 pm on March 7. 

(With agency inputs)

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