NEW DELHI: Continuing violence and internal divisions have cast a shadow over the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) preparations for the upcoming Manipur elections and its bid to retain power in the state for a third term, party leaders aware of the matter said.
Last week, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge posed three questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, asking how many more innocent lives must be lost before they act. Manipur is slated to go to polls early next year, alongside Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Uttarakhand. “Both the union and the state government have been making efforts to end the violence that has left many dead and displaced. With the security situation still precarious, the BJP is yet to finalise its election strategy and campaign plans, leaving the cadre uncertain, people aware of the matter sad. “We are still waiting for the high command to work out the election plan. However, the new government setup has also come under strain. Ties between Dikho and Kipgen have deteriorated amid clashes between members of the Naga and Kuki communities. Kipgen has rejected the charges. “The state unit has been divided. The Congress has been seeking the dissolution of the assembly and fresh elections. Women, children and vulnerable families continue to bear the brunt of this prolonged tragedy. The BJP’s political machinations, from imposing President’s Rule to replacing the Chief Minister and reinstalling its own government, have yielded no peace.
But there is a need to take more steps both politically and administratively to end this cycle of violence that has gone on since 2023…” said a party leader on condition of anonymity. On September 1, Dikho and eight other Naga lawmakers wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking action against Kipgen and her husband, alleging that they were colluding with Kuki militants. “…Since May 2023, over 300 precious lives have been lost, while 24,530 are forced to be in relief camps in pathetic conditions. PM Modi, who did not even set foot in Manipur for nearly 29 months after violence erupted, has abysmally failed on his so-called assurance in Parliament,” Kharge said in a post on X.
State BJP leaders said they were banking on the Union government to restore peace in the strife-torn state and bridge the divide between warring communities before the polling cycle kicked in. Last month, the party appointed [Assam legislator] Rajdeep Roy as the state in-charge, but we are still not in a position to hit the ground running,” the leader said. On several occasions, the high command has to step in… even now, when there is a new chief minister [Yumnam Khemchand Singh] at the helm, there are camps and groups that sometimes seem to work at cross purposes,” the leader quoted earlier in the story said.
