Campaigning for second and final phase of Manipur polls ends

IMPHAL: The campaign for the second and the final phase of the 60-member Manipur assembly that covers 22 seats, to be held on March 8, ended at 3pm on Monday.A total of 98 candidates are in the fray for the second phase of polling, when the valley district of Thoubal and the hill districts of Ukhrul, Chandel, Tamenglong and Senapati will go to vote.The fate of almost all big names in the state's politics - including that of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Deputy CM Gaikhangam and human rights activist-turned-politician Irom Chanu Sharmila - will be decided in this phase.Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years for the repeal of AFSPA from the state, is contesting for the first time and is pitted against Ibobi Singh himself in Thoubal constituency.The first phase of voting when 38 seats went to poll took place on March 4 and recorded 84 per cent voter turnout. The election this time is being billed as a major test for the 15-year-old Congress regime but party president Sonia Gandhi, who has not been keeping well, did not campaign in the state. The task of spearheading the Congress campaign was left to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who addressed a rally in the state on February 28.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh held rallies in the state on February 25 and February 19, respectively.The campaign this time was a narrative of bitter exchanges between Congress and BJP over the ongoing economic blockade and the Naga Peace accord. While Congress accused BJP of compromising the territorial integrity of Manipur, BJP denied the allegations.The Naga Peace Accord, termed a 'framework agreement', was signed between NSCN(IM) and the Centre in August 2015.The indefinite economic blockade since November 1, 2016, has been imposed by United Naga Council against the Manipur government's decision to carve out seven new districts from existing ones.Supply of essential commodities, including fuel to the landlocked state, has been severely hit in the indefinite economic blockade on NH2 (via Dimapur) and NH37 (via Jiribam) - the two lifelines to the state.