Manipur polls: BJP finds selection of candidates a tightrope walk as Sanjoy jumps ship to NPP
GUWAHATI: Two days after deserting the ruling BJP, party’s former Manipur leader L Sanjoy joined the National People’s Party (NPP) on Saturday.
The NPP has decided to field him from the Andro constituency.
The BJP has not yet declared the names of its candidates, ostensibly to thwart the exodus of leaders – unlikely to be fielded – to other parties, particularly Congress and NPP, and contest the polls.
The selection of candidates has become a tightrope walk, for the BJP has three to seven ticket aspirants, who are equally strong, in a number of seats. They include some former Congress MLAs who had jumped ship.
A party source, however, said the names of the candidates had been more or less finalised by central leaders in consultations with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and senior minister Thongam Biswajit.
At least 15 BJP ticket aspirants, not sure about being fielded by the party, are said to be in touch with the NPP, which is headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
“More than 15 BJP ticket aspirants have been in touch with us for the past few weeks. They are all heavyweight candidates in their respective constituencies,” an NPP leader said, adding, “The supporters of Sanjoy wanted him to contest on the NPP’s ticket”.
The NPP and the BJP are allies and constituents in Manipur’s coalition government.
The NPP and the Congress have not yet declared the names of all their candidates in anticipation of switchover by BJP leaders who would not be fielded by the party.
Meanwhile, “squabbling” over the selection of candidates made the authorities tighten the security of party’s state president A Sharda Devi and party offices.
“Some special measures have been taken as regards her security but it is a normal practice in the context of Manipur,” someone, who is close to the BJP chief, told The New Indian Express.
“Having multiple candidates in each constituency goes to show the growing popularity of the BJP,” he added.
Some Naga leaders in Manipur’s hills said some “tension” was going on across eight Naga-majority constituencies in the wake of the Naga People’s Front’s proposal to ally BJP to leave the seats to the party. BJP leaders in these constituencies have already warned of en bloc resignations.
The BJP’s Manipur election co-in charge and Assam minister Ashok Singhal said the party would contest in all 60 seats, thereby dismissing speculation about a seat-sharing arrangement.