‘Will contest Assembly polls if given Cong ticket’

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 18: Sitting Lok Sabha Member Dr Bimol Akoijam has announced that he would contest the Manipur Legislative Assembly election in Keishamthong AC if he is given Congress ticket.
A public function was held today at Keishampat Keisham Leikai in commemoration of the first sitting of the first elected Manipur National Assembly held on October 18, 1948.
Speaking at the function, Dr Bimol said that October 18, 1948 is a very significant date in the history of Manipur.
Saying that it’s time to study the past and future of Manipur, he called upon all local politicians to give up the attitude of following only what New Delhi dictates.
It is essential to exercise the powers guaranteed to a State by the Indian Constitution.
It is not right for the State Government to continue dancing to the tune of the Centre when the people of Manipur have been suffering extreme misery, Dr Bimol said.
He said that he joined the Congress party considering the need to join a big party in order to fight BJP’s communal policies at the National level.
“There were some within the Congress party who asked me to tone down what I spoke in the Parliament”, Dr Bimol said.
“There were also some people who called me anti-India and anti-Kuki. There were some people within the AICC who tried to delegitimize us. At the same time, BJP has always been planning to silence me”, he said.
He asked  why a man from Manipur cannot become a National leader if some one can work as a National leader.
Dr Bimol also pledged  that he will never join the culture of party-hopping.
Saying that he would contest the State Assembly election in Keishamthong AC if he is given Congress ticket, Dr Bimol asserted that one can guide the State’s trajectory only when one is a Member of the State Assembly.
“I decided to contest the State Assembly election not to become Chief Minister or Minister but to guide Manipur to the right path”, he said.
Saying that all the attempts to silence him and remove him from the Parliament are tomfoolery, the Lok Sabha Member exuded confidence that the Court will do justice.
BJP is a highly communal party and it’s high time for the people of Manipur to teach this communal party a befitting lesson, Dr Bimol said.
He asserted that BJP can be uprooted from the soil of Manipur if only the people are united.
People must teach the incumbent BJP MLAs a befitting lesson if they contest the next election on the tickets of other parties, he said.
He pledged that he would spare no efforts to make Keishamthong AC a model Assembly segment if he gets elected to the State Assembly.
Manipur can achieve rapid progress in less than five years if it is governed by a leadership with vision, he asserted.
He appealed to the people to support Congress party in each and every Assembly segment so that the party can form Government in the State.
Dr Bimol further urged all voters to put up hoardings “Won’t accept money for votes” at their residential gates.
Ex-Minister L Jayantakumar said that he would not contest in the 13th Manipur Legislative Assembly election.
He assured that he and his workers would extend full support to Dr Bimol Akoijam if he fights the election.
Senior advocate Khaidem Mani, 18th October Observation Committee chairman Haobam Bihari Khuman, public speaker Dhanabir Laishram and Dr Elangbam Bijoy too spoke at the function.