Defeat Cong's money power: TC nominee
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 05, 2011: Trinamool Congress Manipur Pradesh nominee for the by-election to the Konthoujam Assembly Constituency Konthoujam Sarat has asserted that the forthcoming democratic exercise is an opportunity to expose and defeat concept of the ruling Congress party that elections could be decided through the power of money.

While expressing confident that with the blessing of the Konthoujam AC public the Congress party's principle of luring voters with money would be proved as an ineffective policy at the time of the by-election scheduled for February 14, Sarat also accused the Congress-led SPF Government of misleading the people of Konthoujam with regard to allotment of 25 acre land to the Power Grid Corporation.

Charging a representative of Konthoujam AC, who also held the post of Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly, of not consulting the people when SPF Government provided the 25 acre land to the Corporation for setting up a power sub-station, the TC candidate also accused Deputy Speaker Th Lokeshore and Works Minister K Ranjit of lying to the people of Konthoujam AC.

Sarat ridiculed assertion of Lokeshore and Ranjit that Patsoi AC MLA was responsible for allotment of the land and that the Konthoujam representative was unaware of the State Cabinet's decision on the issue.

Mention may be made that part of the 25 acre land falls under Konthoujam AC.

The Trinamool nominee also alleged that the individual (now expired) elected from Konthoujam AC siphoned off huge quantity of PDS items, which was meant for the people of Konthoujam, within a six year period and the proceed going to the individual's own pocket.

Further accusing the former Speaker of misappropriating funds from the MLA Local Area Development as well as withdrawing bills for construction of two crematorium, even though the structures remained incomplete, he said people of Konthoujam are witness to the claim as corpse of the said representative had to be cremated at a river bank.

Observing that wealth accumulated through misuse of public money when the individual was alive will be used to corrupt the voters, Sarat called upon the Konthoujam public to ensure defeat of the Congress candidate and reject the Govt's objective to woo voters with money.

Directing his tirade against the independent candidate Kh Ranjit, who has the backing of Janata Dal (united) and CPI (M), Sarat described candidature of Ranjit as a sign of desperation.

Dismissing Ranjit's prospect, he said JD (U) has no roots in Konthoujam AC while the CPI (M) can hardly command 10 of its members.

Moreover, Ranjit is an individual who initially tried to contest on Congress ticket but joined the fray as an independent candidate as his intention suffered a setback after being rejected by the Congress party.

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