MPP, BJP bask under 'reflected glory'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 17 2011:
Hailing the people of Konthoujam, MPP and BJP, which had backed and supported Trinamool Congress in the by-election to Konthoujam Assembly Constituency, have stated that the victory of the Trinamool Congress candidate in the by-election has rung out the message that the people of Konthoujam want change and they do not want the administration of the Congress any more.
Talking to mediapersons at the MPP office today, party president Nimaichand Luwang asserted that people of Konthoujam Assembly Constituency have rejected the Congress party in the by-election despite the latter using every possible means, muscle power and money power.
Just like the Congress managing to get only four seats out of 243 in Bihar Legislative Assembly in the recent Assembly elections in Bihar, a similar situation is about to be witnessed in Manipur too, Nimaichand predicted, adding that the result of the by-election is a harbinger of the imminent defeat that the Congress would suffer in the upcoming 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly elections.
Nimaichand Luwang further said that the people of Manipur are fed up with the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh-led Government which offers one litre of petrol at Rs 150, one litre of diesel at Rs 100, one litre of kerosene at Rs 80, one kilogram of rice at Rs 27 or 28 while their counterparts in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have been getting one kilogram of BPL rice at Rs 2.Understanding this reality, the people of Konthoujam have realised the need for a change in the administration and have taken the first step.
To order to defeat the Congress in the coming 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly, efforts are underway for non-Congress parties to strike up an alliance,
he disclosed.
Convenor of Co-ordinating Committee of Trinamool Congress, MPP and BJP formed in connection with the by-election, Kh Ibomcha said that voters exercise their rights not on humanitarian ground but in consideration of the ability and sincerity of the candidate.
This fact is today known to the people of Konthoujam, he added.
On the other hand, BJP State unit president Sh Shantikumar observed that defeat of Congress candidate in the by-election despite the party being in power is not only the first time in the political history of Manipur but it has also closed the chapter of the 'die-in-harness' system of the Congress from today.
The old method of the Congress to use muscle and money power in the election has been rejected by the people in the by-election this time.
BJP would like to salute the people of Konthoujam for defeating the Congress in the by-election, Shantikumar said.
Secretary of BJP Media Affairs L Basanta said that the results of the by-election has shown, on one hand, that the people are not favour of the ruling Govt any more while on the other, it has shown to the people that success can come though the joint efforts of like-minded political parties.