Manipur set for polls
The first of the two-phase Assembly polls in Manipur will be held on March 4, amid disturbed conditions. The United Naga Council (UNC) has imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the state since November 1 against the government’s decision to create seven new districts in the landlocked state, badly affecting the supply of essential commodities. The state government has said the decision was taken to improve administrative efficiency. The election campaign began with a controversy. The BJP’s state in charge, Prahlad Singh Patel, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit the state to address a mega rally at the Kangla fort on February 25. Following this, Irom Sharmila’s People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) filed a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging the proposed rally violated the Model Code of Conduct, which bars any such activity at a place of religious worship. Subsequently, the Ma nip ur unit of the B JP announced it had changed the venue of the Prime Minister’s rally from the Kangla fort to the Langjing Achouba ground, a few kilometres away. BJP ally Naga People’s Front is looking to unseat Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh of the Congress.