The nightmare for Congress continued as the grand national party not only lost its grip in major states like Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa but was also reduced to dust in the northeastern state of Manipur which was once a fortress for the grand old party where it ruled for 15 consecutive years from 2002 to 2017. The debacle continued, thereafter.
Coming as a disaster, Congress could only pocket five seats in this poll, a sharp decline from being the single-largest party in the last election of 2017 when it bagged 28 out of the total 60 assembly seats.
On the other hand, just as the exit polls had predicted, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not only crossed the halfway mark but won an absolute majority with 32 seats. In the history of Manipur, it is the second time a party gained a majority. The last time it happened was in 2012 when Congress won 42 seats. The significant bit is that in the last five years, the roles of both Congress and BJP in Manipur have reversed.
In 2017, despite Congress gaining the highest number of seats, the BJP which won 21 seats, managed to form the government for the first time in Manipur by joining hands with the National People’s Party (NPP), the Naga People’s Front (NPF), the Lok Janshakti Party and others. However, this election was different as NPP and NPF chose to fight their own and many predicted that they might emerge as ‘king makers’.
The reality, though, turned out to be different and BJP, which was seeking help from these parties five years back, now has the upper hand. NPP and NPF have won seven and five seats respectively in this poll. The newly floated party of the Kuki People’s Alliance also won two seats. Three independent candidates also won.
Biren Singh, the incumbent Chief Minister, who has retained his Heingang seat has already hinted at a possible split with Meghalaya the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma-led NPP. Immediately after his victory, Singh said that the BJP may not take the help of NPP with whom it shares a ‘nervy’ relationship. NPF may still be in the alliance.
But what went wrong for Congress and why have the people of Manipur decided to shift their choices and support BJP? The reasons are many but the BJP seems to have played its cards well.
For many, Congress had almost given BJP a walkover in Manipur while keeping busy for elections in Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand where it failed miserably also. Barely any national leader except Rahul Gandhi showed up in Manipur for poll campaigns whereas BJP left no stone unturned and top-brass leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda made rounds to the state ahead of the elections. Besides, BJP’s ‘smart kid’ and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was almost omnipresent in all major events in the Manipur polls.
BJP’s ‘smart kid’ and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was almost omnipresent in all major events in the Manipur polls.
Geographically divided into valley areas and hills where the Hindu, non-tribal Meitei community and Christian Naga and Kuki-Zomi communities dominate respectively, the BJP seemed to have succeeded in making its inroads in both the valley areas and the hills. In Manipur, the valley districts have 40 seats and the hills have 20. While BJP and its ideological partner RSS have tapped into the valley areas over the last decade, the party has managed to form a grip in the hills too.
While BJP and its ideological partner RSS have tapped into the valley areas over the last decade, the party has managed to form a grip in the hills too.
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