At Lilong, BJP makes final dash to the finish line

IMPHAL: With the second phase of the assembly polls just a couple of days away, BJP top brass - including general secretary and northeast in charge Ram Madhav and Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma - campaigned for the party's lone Muslim candidate, Anwar Hussein, at the prestigious Lilong seat on Sunday.
The late Md Alimuddin had served as chief minister for two terms and is the only Muslim candidate to have won from Lilong.
In their effort to illustrate the saffron party's close affinity with Muslims and the support extended to project the community's political leaders, the BJP top brass recalled the formation of the current Jammu and Kashmir government with the support of the saffron party during a poll rally at a ground at Lilong.
The second phase polls covering 22 seats spread over in five districts will go to the polls on Wednesday.
Though Lilong is about to witness a multi-cornered contest, the key fight will be between Anwar and the incumbent Congress minister Md Abdul Nasir. Other candidates in the fray include Md Abdul Zabur (MNDF), Sheikh Kheiruddin (NEIDP) and Independent contenders Y Antas Khan and Nasir Ahmad Sheikh.
Exuding strong confidence of grabbing power by the BJP in the coming polls, Ram Madhav said the party will bring about a prosperous Manipur.
Brushing aside Congress's allegation that BJP is a Hindu-centric party, the saffron party's strongman Himanta recapitulated the formation of governments in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Jharkhand - all done with support from the saffron party.
Stating that that the Assam government will set up eight colleges in the areas settled by the minority very soon, Himanta said, "During the 15-year Congress regime in Assam, not a single college was set up in minority areas."
Alleging that the Ibobi Singh government has failed in all sectors and scored only in high-stakes corruption, Himanta said a new era of development will come when BJP comes to power.
Anwar, taking a dig at his rival Abdul Nasir, said the Congress minister has done nothing for the welfare of the state as well as the Lilong constituency.
He charged Nasir of possessing personal properties like flats at other states from the developmental fund sanctioned by the centre.
"Instead of taking up unfinished developmental tasks for Lilong constituency left by the late chief minister Alimuddin and minister Helaluddin, he (Nasir) only pocketed the developmental funds and piled up his personal wealth," Anwar said.