BJP candidate, two Congress nominees file nominations in Manipur

Imphal: The BJP's Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat candidate and the Congress nominees for the Inner and Outer Manipur constituencies filed their nominations on Wednesday.

State Education Minister and ruling BJP nominee Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh, contesting the Inner Manipur seat, submitted his nomination papers to the Deputy Commissioner of Imphal West district.

He was accompanied by Chief Minister N.Biren Singh and BJP’s state President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi.

Basanta Kumar Singh, a former IPS officer and son of former Union Minister Thounaojam Chaoba Singh, said: "BJP will win comfortably with a huge margin of votes against the opponent candidate and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the country for the third consecutive term."

"The prevailing issues of Manipur will be resolved with help from the Centre," he told the media.

Congress candidates Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor, and ex-MLA Alfred Kanngam Arthur also filed their nominations for Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur constituencies respectively.

Akoijam and Arthur are the consensus candidates of the 10-party bloc in Manipur.

In the Outer Manipur seat, reserved for the tribals, the BJP has extended its support to ally Naga People's Front (NPF) nominee Kachui Timothy Zimik, a retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer.

Zimik had earlier filed his nominations for the constituency. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on Thursday.

The Inner Manipur seat and parts of Outer Manipur constituency will go to polls on April 19 while balloting in the remaining part of Outer Manipur seat will be held on April 26.