Imphal, March 29 2009: Former MP and Union Minister Thounaojam Chaoba will now contest the upcoming general election 2009 as the official candidate of Manipur People's Party (MPP) in lieu of Prof N Mohendro, who has withdrawn his candidature following heavy parleys with the party stalwarts for days together.

The decision to field Th Chaoba in place of Prof N Mohendro was taken at the central committee meeting of the party yesterday.

The news of selecting Th Chaoba as the MPP's candidate for the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency has been received by the electorate of six assembly constituencies in Bishnupur district with much happiness and enthusiasm.

Chaoba belongs to Utlou in Nambol AC of Bishnupur district.

A large number of people of six AC's of the district today felicitated Chaoba at different places.

Veteran leader of the party, O Joy disclosed that the decision to put Chaoba in the fray had been taken after intense discussions within the party as a changed political strategy taking into account the delayed announcement of the candidate of Congress party.

He further informed that there is no misunderstanding among the leaders and functionaries of MPP as a fall out of the decision to field Th Chaoba in place of Prof N Mohendro in the election.

It was taken after careful deliberations within the party including Prof Mohendro himself.

There is no ill feelings among all in the party.

Prof Mohendro himself has willingly accepted the party's decision, the leader of MPP legislature wing said.

Taking a dig at the apparent divisions within Congress party in relation to lobbying for ticket for sitting MP Dr T Meinya and sitting MLA I Hemochandra, the MPP leader said, the fact that Dr Meinya has finally obtained the Congress ticket has caused a lot of heartburns within the Congress party.

But in MPP, there is no such hard feelings among all concerned because of the change of decision.

It was taken with mutual understanding and willingness of all concerned, Joy said.

Pointing out that there are nearly two lakh voters in Bishnupur district alone, Joy exuded confidence that Chaoba will get almost all these votes.

He said that the party had to change its decision in order to defeat the candidates of Congress and CPI which are the partners of the SPF government which has been causing the relentless killings of youths in the state.

The party took this new step to strengthen its commitment to see that the people of Manipur get their rights and that the territorial integrity of the state remains intact.

Joy was speaking at a reception function held in honour of the MPP's new candidate Th Chaoba organised by MPP Singjamei Kendra at Nameirakpam Mandop, Ngakraba Leirak today.

He further said that Congress has been playing divide and rule policy in Manipur due to which there are factional killings and even Dr Th Kishan and his two staff had been killed.

Yet Congress and CPI have not been able to say anything, he alleged.

It is astonishing that AB Bardhan of CPI cry that the party will remove AFSPA, but Ph Parijat has been supporting AFSPA here.

They are speaking hollow words at the time of electioneering thinking that the people are fools.

To cast vote for Congress and CPI would be tantamount to granting license to murder innocent people, he said.

The party's candidate, Th Chaoba said that Prof Mohendro is a truely noble hearted man who always obeys the party's directions.

The new decision was taken after deliberations in which Prof Mohendro himself took part, and following the party's instruction, as a loyal partyman he (Chaoba) accepted the new decision.

Spokesperson of MPP and MLA RK Anand, General Secretary Khemchand, General Secretary (Finance) RK Shivachandra and president of Chanura Marup G Gunapati also spoke about various issues plaguing the state and appealed to the electorate to vote for MPP's candidate Chaoba.

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