Manipur: As BJP lays siege to bastion, Congress banks on minority backing

IMPHAL: In the fast-changing political landscape of the northeast, where BJP made inroads and then took the fast track, it is Manipur now that faces polls amid a saffron surge and all eyes are on the state’s Muslims, who could turn out to be an important voting bloc.Congress is banking on its traditional vote banks to retain its bastion and is looking to rope in prominent Muslim leaders from across the country to ensure that its minority support base does not switch allegiance to other parties.Muslims account for nearly 9% of the state’s population. Of the 60 assembly seats, Muslims dominate one, can tilt the scales in nine, and have a sizeable presence in another nine. Of these 19 seats, 17 have Congress MLAs. The remaining two had Congress netas who have shifted to BJP. Manipuri Muslims, known as Meitei Pangal, inhabit 18 of these seats while one, Jiribam, is populated by Bengali-speaking Muslims.“Congress and Muslims cannot be separated in Manipur,” says Vidyapati Senjam, general secretary of the state Congress unit. While Congress has fi elded Muslims in three constituencies, BJP has fi elded just one, he said.BJP minority morcha president Salam Khan did concede that there were a few problems during ticket distribution, but said those are over now. “Winnability factor was calculated while giving tickets,” he said, defending the party’s decision to fi eld only one Muslim candidate.For Congress, its minority department chairman Khurshid Ahmed Saiyed and Imran Kidwai have joined the campaign in Muslim areas. It has already despatched two minority leaders from neighbouring Assam, including former minister Rockybul Hussain. It is also planning to bring some minority religious leaders from Delhi on board. Congress also hopes to score by highlighting the secular credentials of Okram Ibobi Singh, the first CM of Manipur to have hosted an Iftar party at his offi cial residence.