Chinks appear in Manipur Cong over leadership issue

NEW DELHI, Jan 7– The All India Congress Committee has met to finalise the list of candidate for Manipur amidst sharp differences over party leadership issue in the State. Although the party’s Central Election Committee was expecting a smooth sailing in the selection of candidates in Manipur, unexpected problems by way of differences over leadership has marred the possibility. The differences arose over the leadership of Rishang Keishang, with a section opposing his candidature on the ground of his advance age. A senior leader of Manipur Congress told this Correspondent that the Party is expected to field new faces in the Assembly election.

It may be recalled here that the Congress party in the last Assembly polls suffered a major setback when all of its sitting MLAs, barring Reisang Keisang, left the party to join hands with the Samata Party-led alliance. Sources said that though Keising’s case was strong, his candidature is being opposed by Meiteis, Kukis and also a section of the Nagas. The leader said that the State Manipur Congress Committee has stressed to the party high command that the priority in selection of candidates should be given to those whose names have been suggested from the grassroot. The party high command is also expected to decide on the fate of at least six members who had left the party and later rejoined it. The party leader claimed that the Congress party has a fair chance of forming a Government in the State if the selection process is proper. “Everything depends on how the high command selects the candidates and how it manages to resolve the differences,” he added. The Congress party is also not attaching much importance to the Samata Party in the State, with leaders even claiming that former Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam may find it tough to setting his seat.