Amid defection, blockades, Congress hopes to retain power in Manipur

 Manipur Assembly elections 2017 - The recurring economic blockades by tribal groups is a major issue in Manipur where the upcoming assembly polls are witnessing a close battle between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.

Intriguingly, none of the parties has so far stressed on the important issue of employment generation, despite the state having over 800,000 educated unemployed youths out of its less than 2.8 million population.

With the 60-seat assembly slated to hold two-phase polls on March 4 and March 8, campaigning is slowly picking up. The Congress is eyeing a consecutive fourth term in office while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — which had only one legislator in the outgoing House — is throwing a determined challenge to wrest power.

The path ahead looks far from rosy for the Congress due to resignations, anti-incumbency factor and the warning from an outfit to tribal politicians not to contest on tickets of Congress.

Phungzathang Tonsing, the number two in the state cabinet for many years, resigned from the Congress despite being given a ticket. "Manipur is a small place and people know what the Congress is doing," Tonsing said cryptically, while declining to elaborate.(Read More)