Imphal, May 14 2010: With 68 of its nominees already elected without contest out of the total of 156 constituencies, confidence of the ruling Congress to gain absolute majority in the Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections of hill district is sky-high, literally.

The first phase election for 72 seats covering Sadar hills, Churachandpur and Chandel will be held on May 26.Already 32 candidates belonging to the Congress have been elected.

For the second phase scheduled for June 2 and covering 72 ADCs of Tamenglong, Senapati and Ukhrul districts 36 Congress candidates have been declared elected without contest.

Each district has 24 seats and two more additional seats will be nominated.

A jubilant spokesman of the SPF Government N Biren said, "This is a glaring sign of the tribal people keeping a firm belief and trust with the Congress.

This is a success story of the party's good governance" .

"We are almost sure that the Congress will win absolute majority in the ADC polls," Biren, who is also IFC minister, said.

It may be mentioned that certain tribal bodies are demanding that the ADC amendment act 2008 under which the two-phased polls will be conducted, be nullified besides asking candidates not to join the fray.

In pursuit of their demands indefinite economic blockade is being imposed on National Highways 39 and 53 .

On the otherhand, Manipur Pradesh Trinamool Congress president Kim Gangte, said she is not satisfied that many of the seats went to the Congress without contest and termed the situation as a "very very unexpected" development.

"The true beauty of democracy is nowhere in this election as there is no competition.

We will definitely say 'Bravo' to those victorious Congress candidates when they win fighting the election with their rivals," she said.

ADC elections were stalled in the state for the last two decades owing to a decision passed by the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), a statute body of the Manipur state assembly formed by the tribal legislators.