Post election scenario of Hiyanglam by poll scheduled tomorrow will be interesting. This by-election perhaps is going be a turning point to the political history of Manipur. The by election will tell the nation on whether the growing popularity of BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi has reached the state of Manipur or not. On the other hand, the result of the election will also tell the credibility of the congress government lead by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. The verdict of this by-election can be speculative of the next Manipur Legislative General Assembly election which may falls on the beginning of 2017. All together five candidates are in the fray in this by-election. And a total of 23,730 voters will decide the fate of the candidates. Voting will begin from 7 am tomorrow and conclude at 4 pm of the same evening at 34 polling booths which has been declared hypersensitive.On the other hand, the recognition of Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) under the leadership of Adim Panmei and the de-recognition of the All India Trinamool Congress, Manipur State and simultaneous rejection of its candidate Y. Thambou Singh during scrutiny is one interesting aspect of this by-election. It is going to have serious impact to the fate of the five MSCP MLAs which had officially declared to have merged to the Congress Party and the four AITC MLAs who had allegedly defected from the AITC. A case filed for disqualification the five MLAs – RK Imo of Sagolband, P Brogendro of Wangjing-Tentha, Nemcha Kipgen of Kangpokpi, Karam Thamarjit of Keirao and Janghemglung Panmei of Tamenglong has been pending with the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. Similarly, the Th. Shyamkumar led All India Trinamool Congress Party has filed case for disqualification of four other Trinamool Congress MLAs – Kh Joykishan of Thangmeiband AC, Th Bishwajit of Thongju AC, Lukhoi of Wangoi AC and K Sharat of Konthoujam AC for allegedly trying to defect from the AITC.The acceptance of the MSCP candidature in the by-election had already worried the 5 MLAs. President of the MPCC Gaikhangam had made statement in protection of them and the CEO Manipur too had justified its decision as according to the guidelines of Election Commission of India (ECI).With the series of events, it can be now certain that the Manipur Legislative Assembly Tribunal cannot keep the verdict pending for long unless there are amicable solutions among the respondent MLAs and the petitioners.
