Nine candidates Thangso Baite of Congress, D. Loli Adanee of BJP, L. B Sona of NCP, M. Jamkhongam Haokip of RJD, Thangkhogin of Lok Jan Shakti, sitting MP Mani Charenamei of People’s Democratic Alliance and Independent Lamlalmoi Gangte including two ladies–– Valley Rose Hungyo and Rose Mangshi Haokip (both independent candidates) fought for the Outer Parliamentary seat.

Similarly 7 candidates including former Union Sports Minister Th Chaoba Singh of Manipur People’s Party, sitting MP Dr Thokchom Meinya of Congress, CPI’s Dr Moirangthem Nara, BJP’s Wahengbam Nipamacha, Rastriya Bahujan Congress Party candidate Loitongbam Khetrani and Independent candidates Md A Rahman IPS(Retd), and N Homendro contended for the prestigious Inner Parliamentary seat.

Even though observers predict a triangular fight in the Outer constituency among sitting MP Mani Charenamei of PDA, Thangso Baite of Congress and D Loli Adanee of BJP, PDA supporters are dreaming of regaining the seat through the sitting MP if the polling percentage of the eight valley districts-7 in Thoubal and 1 in Imphal East district is much lower than that of the five hill districts - Chandel, Churachandpur, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul.

“We’ve a fair chance of retaining the seat this time too, but we want to know the outcome of Thoubal assembly

constituencies,” a PDA supporter in Chandel Bazar said. Even a prominent opposition MLA from the Senapati district is keen to know more about the voting pattern in Thoubal assembly constituencies.

The 1.8 lakh voters in the Thoubal constituency, out of 9 lakh voters in the Outer constituency who were allowed to cast their votes but not entitled to contest in Lok Sabha polls play a major role in deciding the fate of the prestigious Outer seat.

“Yes Thoubal votes are very important to us. I think the Congress candidate may take a major share as they (Congress) have been pouring in huge amounts of money in Thoubal”, a political observer from Senapati District alleged.

However, not surprisingly, BJP leaders are confident of their candidate winning this seat. “The BJP candidate is hopeful,” a supporter of BJP candidate says. According to him, the PDA candidate will have a better position in Tamenglong but the BJP candidate will also get more or less equal votes as the Congress candidate in Thoubal assembly constituencies. Likewise, the BJP candidate will have a better position in Ukhrul and Senapati districts.

MPP volunteers have so far burnt the effigies of Chief Electoral Officer Sambhu and Returning Officer Imphal East district M. Laxmikumar in protest against their inaction to the demand for re-polls. Leaders of both CPI and MPP separately have also rushed to the national capital to seek further action.

L. B Sona, the NCP candidate is expected get a large chunk of votes in Churachandpur, while the remaining will be shared by other candidates. The votes in Chandel will also be shared by all parties, he felt.

D. Kamei, a voter in Tamenglong headquarters said, “Congress and PDA candidates have a straight fight here. I don’t see any hope for the BJP candidate as he doesn’t have a leading district.” According to him, both the PDA and the ruling Congress have fair chances to win the outer seat.

A Congress worker in the district interestingly predicted that whoever wins the Outer seat will do so with a slim margin unlike in the last Lok Sabha polls. “They will hardly have a margin of 20,000 to 30,000 votes,” he said.

Mention may be made here that in the last Lok Sabha polls in 2004, the BJP’s D. Loli Adanee lost to Independent candidate Mani Charenamei by a margin of 82,193 votes.

Sharing his view, an electorate in Churachandpur district headquarters Muan said it will be “very difficult” for him to calculate or table the poll assessment as four heavyweights fight for the coveted seat. The four contenders are the Congress candidate Thangso, the PDA’s Mani, the BJP’s Adanee and NCP’s Sona.

“Congress may have a chance of winning as they perform well in almost all the districts as they are in power,” he said.

In the case of the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency, controversy still looms large as both CPI and Manipur People’s Party have been demanding re-polling in 16 polling booths in three valley districts of Imphal West, East and Thoubal in connection with alleged malpractice by Congress workers.

The CPI alleged that one state health department employee N Brojen alias Gojen, who, incidentally, is Chief Minister Ibobi’s brother in law, committed proxy voting in Thoubal. Similarly Congress workers committed widespread malpractices in 11 polling booths in Andro assembly constituency thus voting was completed within one and a half hours. The CPI candidate is demanding that the respective Presiding Officers of the concerned booths should be thoroughly questioned about this incident. “They (Presiding Officers) should be held responsible. Why is action not being taken up against them?” he questions. Manipur Pradesh Congress committee media cell said that the Election Commission of India would take its own course of action regarding the complaints.

MPP volunteers have so far burnt the effigies of Chief Electoral Officer Sambhu and Returning Officer Imphal East district M. Laxmikumar in protest against their inaction to the demand for re-polls. Leaders of both CPI and MPP separately have also rushed to the national capital to seek further action.

The CPI alleged that one state health department employee N Brojen alias Gojen, who, incidentally, is Chief Minister Ibobi’s brother in law, committed proxy voting in Thoubal.

In spite of all this, urban voters in the state capital talk about the bright prospects of CPI candidate Dr. Moirangthem Nara this time around. In the last Lok Sabha Polls, the CPI candidate bagged more votes than the sitting MP Dr Meinya in the urban area. The sitting MP won the prestigious seat because of the huge vote margin he got from Konthoujam and Thoubal assembly constituencies,observers opined. They further claimed that, “Nara would be the right person among the names listed in the EVMs to represent Manipur in the Parliament as they’ve seen the performance of the others.”

But, contrary to this, the general public here believed that the Congress, being the ruling party both in the state and centre, is still trying to retain it’s traditional Inner seat. Even the Chief Minister O. Ibobi in his election rallies had pronounced that his party candidate and sitting MP Dr. Thokchom Meinya Singh will win with a margin of over 1 lakh votes. Dr. T Meinya had defeated his nearest rival Dr M Nara of CPI by a margin of 49,333 votes in the last Lok Sabha polls.

Chief Minister O. Ibobi’s calculation is based on the number of Congress MLAs in the valley districts. There are 19 Congress MLAs including 7 in Imphal West, 5 in Imphal East, 4 in Bishnupur and 2 in Thoubal district. The total Congress MLAs is 31 in the house of 60. If the voters support their Congress representative for the Parliament seat in the line of state assembly polls, there is no doubt that Dr. Meinya will retain his seat. Did they (voters) vote for the Congress or were they (voters) really aware of their electoral rights for the Lok Sabha Polls? This is what every Manipuri is still asking. Who will give the answer for it? The answer to this question can only come with the declaration of the results of these polls.