Interests whipped up by the by-poll : High stakes for different reasons
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: Ocotber 14, 2014 -

The stake is high for different reasons.

Will not impact on the stability of the Government but increasingly it has become clear that it is more than the question of a single Assembly Constituency.

To the Congress the by election to the Hiyanglam Assembly Constituency will come close to a sort of a referendum, especially in the wake of the BJP storming the Lok Sabha election a couple of months back.

Not exactly on the line but in many ways it will also mean the trust and confidence of the people in the present leadership or on the Chief Ministership of O Ibobi.

To the BJP it is certainly not a question of Government formation but is more a question of whether the Modi effect has had any impact on the people here or not.

It could also mean a sort of a curtain raiser for the next Assembly election, when the State will go to polls in 2017.

The by election is important too, to the Trinamul Congress for it will have a significant impact on the present status of the party, especially in the wake of the infighting seen within the State unit of the Trinamul Congress.

Still early to say which direction the wind will blow but already it is clear that not a single political party is taking the by election lightly.

An observation backed by the fact that two Members of Parliament of the Trinamul Congress have already visited the State to campaign for the party’s candidate.

Not the first of its kind in Manipur, but it nonetheless underlines the fact that the by election is viewed seriously by all the stakeholders, that is the political parties. Giving weight to this observation is the manner in which the two MPs came with dollops of promises such as the assurance that the demand to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act would be taken up in Parliament as well as the demand that the Inner Line Permit System be enforced in the State.

The BJP too has not been lagging behind, roping in some well known artistes, particularly film actors and play back singers to hold roadshows.

On the other hand, the Congress continues to stick to its proven formula and instead of showcasing Central leaders and popular personalities, it has fallen on the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister to sell its idea to the electorate.

An example underlined by the point that Chief Minister O Ibobi did not spell out promises and instead relied on highlighting the fundamentals of the party.

How well the different approaches will go down with the voters is something which only time will tell, but it is nonetheless interesting to note the interest whipped up by the coming by election.

Technically the by election may be seen as a measure taken up to fill the vacant seat due to the demise of then sitting MLA, M Kunjo, but to the political parties it is more than a measure to fill up a vacancy.

To the Congress, it could be seen as something of a mid-term poll on their performance in power while to the others it may be interpreted as the curtain raiser to the next Assembly election.

This should about make it more than an election to elect an MLA only at a later stage. The stake is obviously high for the political parties and not just the candidates.