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Assembly Elections Results 2017: Congress single largest party in Manipur, BJP makes big inroads

BJP closer to forming govt with support of NPF, NPP, both part of its NEDA in the region

Officers counting votes
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Officers counting votes
Supratim Dey Guwahati
Last Updated : Mar 11 2017 | 8:16 PM IST
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The ruling Congress party has emerged as the single-largest party in the Northeastern state of Manipur, though with a reduced mandate this time around. The Congress won 26 in the 60-member house. With 31 as the halfway mark, Congress is clearly short of majority. The party had won 42 seats in previous elections in 2012.

However, the performance of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come as a big surprise in Manipur. The party, which till recently was never in the reckoning in Manipur’s politics, emerged as the second largest party, giving the Congress run for its money. More surprisingly, with around 36 per cent votes share, the party is well at the top. The Congress comes second with around 35 per cent votes.  

If the performance of BJP is compared with the last state election result, it can just be said stupendous. From drawing a blank in 2012, the party is just behind the Congress in 2017. 

The BJP’s performance in Manipur was kind of a repeat of its victory in Assam last year where the party emerged from nowhere to finally form the government.

Besides, performances of the smaller parties were more or less on the expected lines. The Naga People’s Front (NPF) bagged four seats, followed by National People’s Party (four seats), and one each to Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJSP), All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and an independent candidate.

With NPP and NPF both part of the BJP-led North Eastern Democratic Alliance (NEDA) in the region and LJSP part of NDA at the centre, the BJP is hopeful of just touching the magic figure of 31 and forming the next government with the support of these parties.

However, the Congress too expressed confidence of forming the government with the support of “like-minded secular” parties. The party has been in power in Manipur since 2002 with Ibobi Singh at the helm of affairs.

Another surprise that the Manipur results threw was the devastating performance of Irom Sharmila-led Peoples Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA). All the three candidates that PRJA had fielded, including Sharmila, failed to make any mark in the polls. Sharmila could just garner 90 seats in Thoubal constituency, where she contested against chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh. 

Sharmila, Manipur’s icon, announced to end her epic 16-years long fast in August last year and decided to enter electoral politics by forming PRJA in October. Today, devastated by the election results, Sharmila; in haste, announced to quit politics and to never contest polls again.
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First Published: Mar 11 2017 | 8:05 PM IST

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