With the ruling Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) yet to declare the names or list of candidates for the forthcoming 12th Manipur State Assembly election, Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar on Saturday said that the National People’s Party (NPP) will give chance to those rejected by the BJP.
"NPP is waiting for the announcement of BJP tickets and will give opportunity to those aspirants rejected by the BJP but have the potential to win the election," the Dy CM said during the joining ceremony of social worker Lourembam Sanjoy to NPP, held at MAYOL, Iroishemba in Imphal West. Sanjoy will be the NPP candidate of Andro Assembly constituency.
NPP has already selected 12-13 candidates for publication in the second list of candidates which will include around 20 names, Joykumar said.
Joykumar contended that none of the political parties will get absolute majority in the 12th Legislative Assembly election of Manipur, but NPP will get the single largest party who win the maximum MLA seats.
NPP will at least win 20 MLA seats, Joykumar said, adding, the joining of an influential and promising leader of Andro Assembly constituency (Sanjoy) to NPP has added another one MLA seat in its prediction.
Stressing that the state will progress towards development only when there is unity among the people of Manipur regardless of their castes or religion, he said that the NPP is the party which works with the ideology of unity among all the people of Northeast and to raise the people's voice.
Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the NPP family for welcoming him to the party, Sanjoy promised to convert the hope and dream of the general public into reality with the support from the party.
He appealed to the people of Manipur to keep their trust in the NPP, which is fully dedicated to the indigenous population of Northeast with an aim to make a secular, egalitarian and progressive society.
Former BJP MLA of Tamenglong Assembly constituency, Samuel Jendai was also reportedly scheduled to join the party along with Sanjoy, but he did not turn up at the joining ceremony.
“Due to some inconvenience Jendai failed to turn up. He will also be joining the party very soon,” Joykumar said.
The function was also attended by working president of NPP, Manipur L Jayantakumar, intending candidates of NPP, supporters, well-wishers among others.
NPP released its manifesto "People's Action Document 2022" on January 23 and announced its first list of candidates on January 24.
Meanwhile former BJP MLA Samuel Jendai in a video release clarified that he has no intention to join any political parties and the news about him joining the NPP is a rumour.
“I have decided not to enter any political parties as long as the BJP candidates list is not published. I am still a BJP member,” he said.
