CM admits defeat, oppositions say poll result shows people voice against Cong
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 17 2011:
Even as Chief Minister said that no impact will be given to the Congress party in the 2012 elections to the state Assembly by the result of the Konthoujam bye-election, oppositions believe the today's result will certainly give a great blow to the ruling congress.
Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh admitted the defeat and said his government will respect the people's mandate.
"We have to admit people's decision," he said.
Giving reasons for the defeat, he said that it was due to non-reaching of development works of the government in the remote villages of the area.
However, there no discourage in the party, he said recalling that out of five bye-elections held in this current term Congress won in four.
The result will have no shadow in the general election to the state Assembly which is likely to come up in the early part of 2012, he asserted
He observed that when Dr S Budhichandra was alive and Dr Meinya was in the state politics, Congress party is seemed to be active in the constituency.
Now, Congress will start working hard to regain people's faith by translating promises made at the time election into work, he said.
Manipur Pradesh Trinamool Congress while celebrating the victory says that the election result shows that people fed up with Congress un-keep promises made in the earlier elections and the party acknowledged the people's mandate.
MPTC president, Kim Gangte said her party noted the result as people's voice against Congress and a stepping stone for the Trinamool Congress to fulfill desire of the people to bring a change in the state.
Reiterating that no question for supporting Congress rises, she said that her party will take a major role as opposition in the state Assembly and in the efforts of the opposition parties in defeating Congress in the next Assembly election.
MPP and BJP, who backed the Trinamool Congress candidate in the bye-election welcome the mandate of the people and said that the election result has taught Congress a lesson that money and muscle powers could no more attract people.
While congratulating the Trinamool Congress and its candidate, MPP president Dr Nimaichand Luwang observed that the bye-poll result has revived the hope of sweeping away the unclean in the state politic.
He reiterated that with the objective of bringing a change, MPP had not fielded its candidate in the bye-poll.
The result shows that people wanted to free themselves from the Congress even though the party tried it best using muscle as well as money power to win the election.
In the national political point of view also Congress' popularity has been observed a decline.
The recent election result in Bihar Assembly where congress won only in four out of 243 seats was the clear example, he added.
BJP state unit termed the defeat of Congress as a historic event and ending of the "die-in-hardness" scheme in election referring to earlier bye-elections in the current Assembly term in which sons of the seating MLAs won.
President, Sh Shantikumar reminded that BJP and MPP had sacrificed fielding their candidates and extended supports to Trinamool candidate with the objective of defeating Congress.
General secretary (media affairs), L Basanta Sharma who was the convener of the three parties ally of the bye-poll said that by defeating ruling party sponsored candidate, Manipur politic steps into an new era.
The result shows that O Ibobi Singh led SPF government is no more a government which people kept there faiths.
It's an indication of people wanting to bring a change in the next Assembly election, he added.