Imphal, November 13 2010: Even as Opposition parties have not made any formal decision with regard to the forth-coming by-election to the Konthoujam Assembly Constituency, SPF coalition partners��Indian National Congress and Communist Party of India have decided to fight for the Konthoujam seat.

The State Cabinet has already recommended the Election Commission of India to hold the by-election by December last week or first week of January at the latest.

The by-election has been necessitated following the demise of Congress MLA and Speaker Dr Sapam Budhichandra who won the seat in the 9th Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has kickstarted their election campaign in full swing in favour of Dr S Ranjan, son of late Dr S Budhichandra.

The CPI has also launched their campaign in line with the party's decision to fight against the Congress candidate.

The CPI has been seriously analysing and calculating whether its former candidate O Ibotombi should be fielded again or or put up a fresh candidate who can defeat rival candidates, particularly the Congress candidate.

CPI State secretary L Iboyaima said that the party's candidate may be announced in the next few days.

On the other hand, BJP State unit president Sh Shantikumar has already proposed to all like minded parties barring the Congress and CPI to field a common candidate in order to defeat the Congress candidate.

However, there has been no response to the BJP's proposal from any of the opposition parties till date.

The BJP has also been keeping an eye on NCP and Trinamool Congress and their possible stance with regard to the by-election.

Incidentally, the two parties are partners of the Congress-led UPA Government.

The BJP has even mooted in an informal meeting to send a written proposal to the MPP to contest the by-election.

In case, there is no response from opposition parties to the BJP's proposal, it is likely that opposition candidates would not be in the fray.

As the next Assembly elections would be held one year and a few months after the by-election, opposition parties seem to be little interested in the by-election.

Moreover, considering the results of by-elections held in the past one/two year(s), most of the opposition parties have little confidence of winning the by-election.

Nevertheless, with Congress and CPI already decided to contest the by-election, election fever is fast gripping Konthoujam A/C.Camera meetings and house campaigns are steadily picking up momentum.

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