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Manipur to witness straight contests

The absence of a major third party will see Manipur witnessing virtually straight contests between the ruling Manipur State Congress Party and the opposition Secular Democratic Front in almost all the constituencies in the next month's assembly polls.

The MSCP, which enjoys a majority in the 60-member assembly, has the Federal Party of Manipur as a partner in the ruling coalition, but the ally is not a force to reckon with.

At the national level, the MSCP is a member of the National Democratic Alliance. Its Member of Parliament Chaoba Singh is a minister of state in the Vajpayee government, but at the state level the MSCP's alliance with the BJP is yet to take concrete shape.

The MSCP has declared its candidates for 38 seats, leaving open the remaining 22 seats for seat-sharing arrangements with ''like-minded'' parties. The Congress won the last assembly election on its own, securing an absolute majority. After continuing in power for about two and half years, the party witnessed a split. Subsequently, a breakaway group led by the former speaker W Nipamacha Singh formed a coalition government in the state.

The Congress now has only eleven members in the House. In view of the ground reality, the party decided to join hands with the SDF comprising the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Manipur Peoples Party.

The role of independents is likely to be limited in view of the polarisation of political forces in the coming elections.

UNI

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