Manipur, a state often forgotten in mainland India does not lag far behind when it comes to money power to win elections. With 291 politicians from 8 parties vying for 60 seats in the state assembly, the January 28 Manipur elections has crorepatis gearing up to win the polls.
But surprisingly Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is not even a crorepati, his declared assets are being questioned by many. He owns just a 1988-make Ambassador and 240 gm of gold. From just Rs 6 lakhs in 2007, his asset value has now gone up to Rs 71 lakhs. But for a man rumoured to have properties across the country - from Gurgaon to Bangalore to Goa, the valuation seems to be small change.
The maximum growth in assets has been for state\'s powerful information and tourism minister TN Haokip\'s assets have grown by over Rs 9.77 Crore.
Haokip is followed by his party\'s Kh Govindas with an asset growth of over Rs 2.1 Crore and Haokholet Kipgen of National People\'s Party whose assets increased by Rs Rs 2.09 Crore.
Among the richest candidates in the fray also include NCP\'s Radhabinod Koijam with Rs 1.13 crore. Koijam\'s wife\'s assets is worth Rs 70 lakh. Trinamool Congress has two members in crorepati club - T Thangzalam Haokip with Rs 2.36 crore and Kongkham Manglam Singh (Mayang Imphal constituency) with Rs 1.30 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 1 crore.
TMC, meanwhile, also has the poorest candidate; Khadga Bahadur has declared himself as penniless in his affidavit.
While 33 crorepatis have jumped into the fray to get elected, affidavits filed by sitting MLAs show that many have turned nouveau rich.
Since 2007, Average assets of each recontesting MLAs have jumped at least 4 times to Rs 1.2 crore in 2012 from Rs 24 lakhs which means a growth of a whopping 414 per cent.
Clearly, money is not in shortage when it comes to Manipur but in a tax-less part of India, it\'s very easy to hide your actual assets.
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Rivals are same, only their colours have changed
The two main contenders for Khurai Assembly seat are the same and the only difference is they have switched sides this time. Nothing uncommon in the volatile politics of Manipur but will it bring a change of fortune?
The prestigious constituency, just four km from state capital Imphal, will witness a straight fight between sitting MLA N Bijoy Singh of ruling Congress and Ningthoujam Bihari Singh of opposition Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP).
N Bijoy Singh had won the seat in 2007 on an Manipur Peoples Party (MPP) ticket defeating Bihari Singh of Congress but now the bitter political rivals have swapped sides.
Bijoy Singh had won in 2007 securing 13,326 votes against 8,118 of Bihari Singh.
With a predominant Metei community voters, veteran Bijoy Singh appears to enjoy advantage over his rival on the basis of development works undertaken by the Congress government in the last decade.
"There is absolute peace and people are moving around freely which is not the case in other areas of the state", Bijoy Singh says as he attends a "flag hoisting" ceremony of Congress at Khurai playground.
Khurai boasts of the best road condition, second only to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh's home constituency Thoubal.
"We have developed roads and improved civic amenities", Bijoy Singh, a noted educationists and former Vice Chancellor of Manipur University who joined Congress prior to the election, said.
Bihari Singh, who resigned from Congress following differences with the party, charged the government was "doing nothing for the betterment of the people".
"The Congress government's tall claims of development are false. Prices of essential commodities have soared and the poor people are the worst sufferers", he said.
The other contestants in the fray are R K Amusana of CPI and L Brojendra Roy of Trinamool Congress.
Meanwhile, Phungzathang Tongsing, the influential Power Minister of Manipur, is locked in a multi-cornered contest against K Vungzalian of NCP for Churachandpur Assembly constituency.
The others in the fray are P Songlianlal of Trinamool Congress, Thangngam Lhungdum of Shiv Sena and Chintuahlian Gulte, an independent.
Tonging said development programmes taken up by the government will be the main poll plank of his party.
"Although there is militant activity, Manipur is on the path of development", he said.
Tongsing had secured 18233 votes as against 16554 of V Langkhnpao of NCP in 2007.
"Congress has promised to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which has been a demand of the people", he said.
On the frequent power problem resulting in load shedding for as long as 12 hours a day, the minister said several power projects are the cards.
"Our state has tremendous power potential which has to be tapped", he said.
Vungzalian (26) is trying to woo the young voters promising that the unemployment problem will be solved.
"The militancy problem has cropped up due to unemployment and we want to create employment opportunities", he said.
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JD(U) aims to revive socialist bastion
For Janata Dal (United), the January 28 election is not just about opening the party's account in the state assembly after a disastrous campaign in the 2007 polls. Led by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, the party is, in fact, searching for the old 'socialists' of Manipur.
The erstwhile Socialist Party's contribution to Manipur is well known. The party gave Outer Manipur constituency its first MP when Rishang Keishing won the 1952 Lok Sabha polls. He also won the seat as a Socialist in 1962, before he moved to the Congress in 1969.
Late Laishram Achaw Singh, another Socialist Party member who the Inner Manipur seat in the second Lok Sabha polls in 1957, is remembered for opposing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act when it came up for debate in Lok Sabha in 1958.
It was Achaw Singh who first articulated the dangers of AFSPA - imposed to crush the Naga insurgency - in the Parliament, highlighting the draconian nature of the Act that gives unbridled powers to the armed forces. Every rights activist in Manipur, including Irom Sharmila Chanu, who is on a 11-years fast against AFSPA, still recall the Socialist MP's opposition to the Act.
After the Emergency era, Manipur again briefly saw a socialist party in the government when the Janata Dal was a part of the Manipur People's Party (MPP)-led United Front government in Manipur in 1990. Today, however, the once-powerful Socialist bloc is scattered and disunited, following the pattern of the Janata Parivar elsewhere in the country.
S Indrakumar, JD(U) general secretary, said the breaking of the Socialist bloc, which was once the main challenger to the Congress, began in 1969 when Keishing joined the Congress, with his supporters from both the hills and the valley following him. He later went on to become the chief minister. "Today, everyone is looking for a party that can participate in government formation in New Delhi. We are trying to bring together the Janata Parivar here," says state unit president of JD(U), M Tombi Singh.
The JD(U), which is part of the opposition alliance People's Democratic Front (PDF), is just contesting five seats, while another PDF partner, RJD, which had three MLAs in the last term, is not contesting the polls at all. The JD(S) is independently contesting two seats and the LJP is fielding only one candidate.
Arun Srivastava, JD(U) national general secretary, said their main aim is not only opening their account in the Manipur assembly, but also to try and bring together the old socialists who are now scattered. "Socialists had a large base here, and we want to tell them that the JD(U) is the only viable party from the Janata parivar today." Srivastava added: "I have visited Manipur seven times in the last three months. We are very serious about reviving the base of Janata Parivar."
JD(U), which was instrumental in the formation of the opposition alliance, is playing a crucial role in this election. Recalling that his party had unsuccesfully contested for four seats in the 2007 elections, Srivastava said: "This election, we have fielded five candidates and three of them have a fair chance of winning. Our party is also supporting Radhabinod Koijam of NCP as the chief ministerial candidate," he added.
JD(U) will also be the linkman between BJP and the PDF. "BJP wanted to join the PDF, but Koijam had reservation on the saffron party's entry as it might sway minority votes," said Srivastava. He however allowed the BJP to have another internal alliance with the Manipur People's Party .
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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/manipur-assembly-elections/assemblyarticlelist/11352205.cms
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