Lok Sabha polls: Outer Manipur candidates speak about their priorities if elected as MP

From bringing peace and development to finding a lasting solution to the conflict in Manipur, candidates contesting for the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat spoke about their plans for their people and the state if elected as Member of Parliament.

Speaking about his priorities if elected, NPF candidate Kachui Timothy Zimik said, “As far as my Manipur state is concerned, peace is the priority. Wherever I go, whenever I talk to my people, they want to have peace, my people want development. So these are the 2 issues I should be giving priority, once I am elected as an MP. If I am elected, I will be working for the whole population of Manipur, regardless of any community.”

Independent candidate S Kho John after casting his vote said, “In the Northeast we have a lot of issues. But the manner in which the professional politician or people’s representatives are failing the people, So I thought I being an activist, with this background I thought I may perform better than the professionals on the prevailing issues. Priorities here at the moment, I am very concerned about the conflict that started in Manipur on May 3 and it is going to be a year, and no government, either the Centre or the State Government or the other political parties has taken keen interest. So if I am elected, I will play a very important role in solving the conflict.”

More than 68% votes were cast till 3PM today. Voting began at 7AM. Voters were seen standing in queues outside the polling stations to cast their vote.

While many see it as a triangular contest in the Outer Manipur seat reserved for the Schedueld Tribes (ST), the main contest is predicted to happen between NDA consensus candidate Kachui Timothy Zimik of the NPF and Alfred K Arthur of the Congress.

Zimik was among the early voters to cast his vote at his village Sinakeithei under LM Block in Ukhrul district.

Independent candidate S Kho John also cast his vote early at a polling centre in Tungjoy village under Senapati district Senapati district.

Congress candidate Alfred K Arthur exercised his franchise at Shangshak Phunghon village, about 30 kms from Ukhrul.

13 of the total 28 assembly segments in Outer Manipur parliamentary seat of Manipur went for polls today. Polling for the rest of the 15 seats were conducted in the first phase on April 19.

Manipur has 1,959,426 voters, of which 1,010,618 are from Outer Manipur.

Other than Zimik, a retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and Congress’s Arthur, a former Ukhrul MLA, there are two independent candidates in the fray – Alyson Abonmei and S Kho John.