IT News
Imphal, June 4:
The Indian National Congress (INC) has secured decisive victories in both Inner and Outer Manipur parliamentary constituencies, marking a notable shift in the political landscape of the state. INC candidate Akoijam Bimol clinched the Inner Manipur seat with a record-breaking margin of over 1 lakh votes, surpassing previous electoral records set in Manipur. While INC MP Thokchom Meinya won by a margin of 30,960 votes in 2009, and in 2014, by 94,674 votes, the BJP candidate RK Ranjan had won the seat in 2019 by a margin of 17,755 votes.
In the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency, INC candidate Alfred K Arthur, a vocal Naga leader, emerged victorious after a dramatic surge in votes from Churachandpur, a Kuki majority district in southern Manipur, propelling him to a substantial lead over his opponents.
PM Narendra Modi wins from Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged victorious from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency, securing a significant 612,970 votes. Meanwhile, Indian National Congress candidate Ajay Rai has secured 4,60,457 votes. So, PM Modi won the Varanasi seat by a margin of 152,513 votes.
Other contenders in the constituency, Ather Jamal Lari of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) secured 33,766 votes, and KoliSetty Shiva Kumar of the Yuga Thulasi Party received 5,750 votes.
Gagan Prakash Yadav of the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), Dinesh Kumar Yadav, an independent candidate, and Sanjay Kumar Tiwari, also running independently, secured 2,917, 2,171, and 8,478 votes respectively.
The “None of the Above” (NOTA) option garnered 8,478 votes. The total number of voters in the Varanasi constituency is 19,97,578.
According to the latest Election Commission of India (ECI) data, Akoijam Bimol of INC has secured a staggering 3,74,017 votes in Inner Manipur, while his closest competitor, Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh of the BJP, trailed behind with 2,64,216 votes. Maheshwar Thounaojam of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) secured 135,640 votes, Rajkumar Somendro Singh (Independent) received 13,050 votes, Moirangthem Totomshana Nongshaba secured 4,881 votes, and Haorungbam Sarat Singh (Independent) garnered 1,296 votes. NOTA received 3,797 votes, as of filing this report.
Meanwhile, in the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, Alfred K Arthur of INC secured 381,796 votes, defeating Kachui Timothy Zimik of the Naga Peoples Front, who received 298,358 votes. S Kho John (Independent) garnered 89,677 votes, while Alyson Abonmai (Independent) received 14,864 votes. NOTA accounted for 6,530 votes, as of filing this report.
Major leads for the BJP only occurred in Keirao and Heingang constituencies, where prominent BJP leaders and MLAs, L Rameshwor and CM N Biren Singh hail from, respectively. Despite this, in other constituencies represented by BJP MLAs, the party could not secure significant leads to bolster their MP candidate, Thounaojam Basanta Kumar. This resulted in a relatively better performance for the BJP in Imphal East compared to Imphal West and Thoubal districts, where the Congress outperformed the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi victorious in Wayanad, leading in Rae Bareli
Rahul Gandhi emerges triumphant in the Wayanad constituency of Kerala and maintains a significant lead in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh.
In the Wayanad parliamentary constituency, Rahul Gandhi secures a commanding win, garnering 647,445 votes, with an impressive margin of 364,422 votes. Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India faced defeat, trailing behind with a difference of 283,023 votes. K. Surendran of the Bharatiya Janata Party secured 141,045 votes, while P.R. Krishnankutty of the Bahujan Samaj Party secured a modest 1,973 votes.
Meanwhile, in Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi maintains a substantial lead, securing 686,044 votes, leading by a significant margin of 389,341 votes. Dinesh Pratap Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party trails behind with 296,703 votes, while Thakur Prasad Yadav of the Bahujan Samaj Party secures 21,588 votes.
Akoijam Bimol, the victor in Inner Manipur, is a faculty member at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, known for his vocal criticism of BJP’s policies and actions regarding the ongoing Meitei-Kuki Conflict, while Thounaojam Basanta Kumar, the BJP candidate, is the son of prominent BJP leader Thounaojam Chaoba Singh, adding intrigue to the electoral dynamics.
The INC’s sweeping victory signifies a significant setback for the BJP, which had aimed to consolidate its power in Manipur. The Congress party’s resounding success is anticipated to reinvigorate its presence in the state, potentially marking a return to prominence after losing power in 2017.
Congress party members perceive this victory as a significant mandate from the people of Manipur, who have been clamoring for change. Analysts attribute the INC’s triumph to widespread dissatisfaction with the BJP’s handling of the ongoing conflict between the Meiteis and Kukis, which has persisted for over a year.
