Imphal: A confident BJP is looking forward to the counting on votes on Thursday, as exit polls predicted the saffron party will win the Manipur assembly elections 2022. Meanwhile, Congress hopes to prevent its rival from returning to power in the state.
Though Congress and BJP are the main players, others like the National People's Party (NPP), Naga People's Front (NPF), and JD(U) could also play crucial roles in the event of a mixed result with no single party securing a majority.
At the BJP's state office in Imphal, the mood is upbeat with workers busy cleaning the office premises and erecting fresh party flags on the boundary wall, preparing for Thursday's results. An office-bearer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that preparations are underway to felicitate winning candidates when the results are out. On the other hand, in Congress party office less than one km away from saffron party office, its a quiet affair as workers go about business as usual.
Ahead of the polls, Manipur BJP president A Sharda Devi had predicted that the party would win over 40 seats out of a total of 60 constituencies in the 2022 assembly elections. The party has contested in all 60 seats. Meanwhile, former chief minister and Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh had also exuded confidence that his party would come back to power in the state as people were fed up with the "hollow promises and lies" of the BJP government.
Congress, which has learned lessons from the past, would want to prevent the recurrence of what happened in 2017. Back then, Congress won 28 seats and despite being the single-largest party, the BJP was able to lure away its elected members to form the government. In this election, Congress has already announced a pre-poll alliance with CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, RSP, and JD(S).
Various exit polls have predicted a win for the BJP in the state with the party slated to secure seats ranging from 23 to 43, while the Congress has been predicted to win between four and 17 seats. NPP is also predicted to win 4-14 seats while the NPF, an ally of the BJP, is expected to win 2-8 seats.
Even in the case of a win for BJP, political observers pointed out that the party will have to overcome internal leadership tussle with incumbent Chief Minister N Biren Singh expected to face a tough challenge from Thongam Biswajit Singh, who held Public Works, Power, Commerce & Industry portfolios among others in the outgoing government. No matter which way the Manipur election results go, the political drama that follows will not just affect the state but the whole of the northeast region.
READ: Manipur elections result a litmus test for BJP in the Northeast
