Manipur Election 2017: BJP announces 27 more candidates

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday announced 27 more party candidates for Manipur Assembly polls to be held in two phases on 4 and 8 March. It had earlier in its first list declared the names of 31 candidates while two names are yet to be announced. The declaration comes a day after Congress released the list of candidates for all 60 seats in the Imphal state Assembly.

Okram Ibobi Singh. AFP.

The Free Press Journal said the BJP and the ruling Congress are the only ones which have come out with the names of the candidates.One of the important names on the list is that of Lallukham Fimate, the former director of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences who also heads the Department of forensic science at J.N. Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal.

The list created a lot of disappointments among heavyweights in Manipur. One of them being retired Director General of Police Yumnam Joykumar.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has headed a Congress government for the last 15 years and the saffron party has been making concerted bid to capture power in the state for the first time.

Two-time winner, Okram Landhoni, chief minister Singh's wife, is not contesting the elections this time. A few weeks back she had announced her retirement to make room for her son Surjakumar. He was given the party ticket from the Khangabok constituency from where his mother won for two consecutive terms.
(with inputs from Agencies)