Congress wins both Lok Sabha seats in strife-torn Manipur

PTI, NEW DELHI, 5 June 2024: The Congress on Wednesday said the long-suffering people of Manipur have sent a "very powerful signal" by electing its leaders as MPs in both constituencies of the state, and asserted that this was a tribute to Rahul Gandhi's visits to the violence-hit state.

The Congress won both the Lok Sabha seats in strife-torn Manipur on Tuesday.

Alfred Kanngam S Arthur won the Outer Manipur seat by 85,418 votes, defeating his nearest rival Kachui Timothy Zimik of the NPF.

In the Inner Manipur seat, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam defeated his nearest rival Thounaojam Basantakumar of the BJP by 1,09,801 votes. Akoijam got 3,74,017 votes andSingh received 2,64,216 votes.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The long-suffering people of Manipur, whose resilience and strength has been under major strain since the state began burning on the night of May 3rd 2023, have sent a very powerful signal by electing Congress MPs in both Inner and Outer Manipur."

It is also a tribute to Rahul Gandhi's visit to Manipur on June 29 and 30, 2023, and to the launch of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 14, 2024 from Thoubal, when the state government refused permission for it to start from Imphal, Ramesh said.

"It is also a tight slap on the face of Mr. Narendra Modi, who simply refused to reach out to the people of Manipur and did not visit the state even for a few hours," the Congress leader said.

The two Congress MPs have a huge responsibility, and with their election, hopefully, the process of reconciliation will get a big boost, Ramedh added.

Manipur has been strife-torn since May last year when ethnic violence broke out after a march by Kuki tribals in the hill districts to protest against the valley-dominant Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribes status.

Since then, over 220 people belonging to both the communities, including security personnel, have been killed in the continuing violence.

BJP-led government has been in power in the state since 2017.

After the results were announced, state Congress president K Megha chandra said Chief Minister N Biren Singh should take responsibility for what has been happening in the state and resign on moral grounds. 

"We are victorious because of the support of the people who have been suffering. We are thankful to the people for showing their trust in our two candidates who have won with massive margins," he told reporters at the state Congress headquarters. 

Meghachandra said corruption was the root cause of the prevailing situation in Manipur. "The people have given a strong message through this election. We will definitely make sure that the trust reposed on us by the people will be transformed into work, and we will do what we have said in our manifesto," he added.

" The government should take responsibility for the present conflict. The chief minister should take moral responsibility and resign," he said. 

After his victory, Akoijam said his top priority was to ensure that the people displaced in the conflict returned to their homes and lived a normal and dignified life. 

"It is a clear mandate against those people who have threatened Manipur. This is a clear message by the people not to take the state for granted. The people have spoken. I have fought this election for my state. Now we should all come together," he said. 

"We have a crisis in the state for the one last year. People are homeless. My top priority is to ensure that those people go back and live a normal and dignified life, and this crisis is resolved," said Akoijam, a professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. 

He urged his supporters to restrain themselves from celebrating the victory as along with the conflict the state was hit by a flood. Akoijam's rival Basanta kumar is a state cabinet minister, holding the portfolios of Education, and Law & Legislative Affairs.