Modi campaigns in poll-bound Manipur

As the people of Manipur are gearing up to embrace the 2017 legislative assembly polls in which the fate of 60 seats would be decided, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hit the campaign trail in the capital city of Imphal for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The prime minister lashed out at Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and the congress for “failing” to induce development and progress in the state for the last 15 years in tenure.

“Whatever the congress failed to do for the last 15 years, I promise the BJP would do for Manipur by 15 months only,” said Modi to the people of Manipur in the presence of senior BJP leaders of the state.

“The chief minister has done nothing for this state except polarisation for narrow political gains,” Modi alleged.

Manipur has been undergoing an indefinite economic blockade by Naga groups of the state since November 2016 who lodged a protest with CM Ibobi Singh’s decision of bifurcating some districts in the state which are inhabited by the Nagas of Manipur.

Modi promised to ring down the curtain on the interminable blockade culture of Manipur if his party is voted to power.

Manipur is a northeast Indian state which is surrounded by Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south, Assam in the west and Myanmar in the east. Political analysts believe that if the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi is able to carry the day, it would turn its attention towards Tripura for the 2018 legislative assembly polls. Analysts also believe that Indo-Bangla relations in the context of Tripura would remain cordial if the left front remains in power.

Meanwhile, normal life was largely affected in Manipur following the call for shutdown by the apex body of six rebel groups in the state protesting against the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for election campaigning.

The entire city was put under a heavy security blanket to avoid any untoward incident. Very few vehicles were seen on the streets of Imphal.