Congress wins 134 seats, CPI 10 as urban bodies' votes counting completed
Congress whitewash
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 09 2011: The ruling Secular Progressive Front (SPF) has swept the urban bodies' elections in Manipur by winning 144 out of 279 total seats while the main opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won just 10 seats.

Manipur People's Party (MPP) won eight seats and the remaining 115 seats went to independent candidates.

Two seats are lying vacant as no candidate filed nominations.

With the counting of two Nagar Panchayats in Thoubal district completed early Sunday, the counting for all the 279 seats of the eight municipal councils and 18 nagar panchayats are over.

Out of a total of 115 seats in eight municipal bodies across the four valley districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur, Congress won 62 seats.

Three seats went to MPP and 44 seats went to independent candidates.

The Congress secured absolute majority in five municipal councils, Mayang Imphal MC of Imphal West district, Nambol, Ningthoukhong and Moirang MCs in Bishnupur district, Kakching MC in Thoubal district.

Interestingly, in Thoubal Municipal Council within the Chief Minister's home constituency, the Congress just about managed to obtain an absolute majority.

Out of 18 seats, Congress won in nine.

But no other party could secure a single seat as all the remaining nine seats were won by independent candidates.

The party will form the council with the support of some independent candidates, a confident local source said.

The party won in 72 students out of 162 seats (leaving leaving aside two seats where no election were held) in all the 18 nagar panchayats across the four valley districts.

The party also managed to get absolute majority in 11.The party could not win a single seat in two nagar panchayats, Oinam Nagar Panchayat in Bishnupur district and Wangjing Lumding NP of Thoubal district.

On the other hand, independent candidates who won the elections have started joining the Congress.

The election to the eight municipal councils and 18 Nagar Panchayats were held on January 3 with a record 91.38 percent turn out of voters.

The counting began on Friday.

The election was the first if its kind held under the Manipur Municipal (Community Participation) Act 2010 enacted in the state.

The government deferred holding election to Imphal Municipal Council for reasons best known to itself.

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