Tag: NPP

Imphal (Manipur): Security has been tightened at Bharatiya Janata Party's office here which was ransacked allegedly by party supporters after some of them were denied BJP tickets to contest Manipur Assembly elections. The candidate list has left many disappointed, and their anger manifested in form of resignations and burning effigies of BJP leaders. Two candidates, who were sitting MLAs, have been denied party tickets. While the sitting Chief Minister N Biren Singh will be contesting the election from Heingang, PWD minister in the government Thangom Biswajit Singh will contest from Thongju. The BJP has set itself a target of winning a two-thirds majority with at least 40 seats out of 60 seats. Currently, the NDA, led by the BJP, is in majority in the assembly. This includes 30 BJP MLAs and three MLAs from NPP and four NDF and three independents. Leading the NDA government, Biren Singh on March 15, 2017, formed the government in Manipur. It, however, got a major jolt in June 2020, when nine MLAs, including ministers, withdrew their support from the government, reducing it to a minority. An intervention by the central leadership within a week resulted in four NPP MLAs coming back to the NDA fold, thereby averting the fall of the government. Manipur goes into polls in two phases-February 27 and March 3 for polling on 60 Assembly seats. Results will be announced on March 10.