The activist refuses to accept security escort provided by state
Thoubal (Manipur): With Manipur going to the poll later this week, all eyes are on Thoubal Assembly constituency where activist-turned-politician Irom Sharmila is contesting against three-time Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.
Election will be held in the constituency on March 8 in the second of the two-phase poll. Thoubal constituency, one of the 10 constituencies in Thoubal district, having an electorate of 27,728, has been a Congress bastion and is the backyard of Ibobi Singh, a two-time MLA from the seat since 2007.
Besides being the district which houses the Assembly constituency of the chief minister, Thoubal has an unofficial tag of being a VIP district as well.
According to residents and Congress leaders of the state, every household in Thoubal constituency has got a job from the Ibobi government, every household has all basic facilities like drinking water and power supply which even certain parts of Manipur do not have.
“During regular frisking at various checkpoints, the state police handles a person with care if he says he is from Thoubal. In Thoubal, the fight is not about whether Ibobi Singh wins or loses, the fight is to increase the 2012 margin,” a district Congress leader asserted.
Ibobi Singh had won the seat by a margin of more than 16,000 votes by defeating his nearest BJP rival in 2012.
Thoubal shares its border with as many as five other districts and the general sentiment in the air is that Ibobi Singh is not only invincible in Thoubal constituency but also in the rest of the nine seats in the district.
Apart from the candidates of TMC, BJP and an independent, the constituency will also witness Irom Sharmila debuting in electoral politics as a candidate of her newly formed party Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA).
On being asked to react on Irom Sharmila contesting from his seat, Ibobi Singh said,” Everyone has the right to contest. My best wishes are with her.”
Meanwhile, Irom Sharmila Chanu on Monday refused to accept the ‘security escort’ provided to her by the state authorities under the direction of the Election Commission of India.
Sharmila told PTI that she has no enmity with anyone and has “nothing to fear about”.
The former iconic human rights figure said she does not approve of the “VIP culture” of being surrounded by armed forces and wants to be with the people.
On the other hand, Additional Chief Secretary J Suresh Babu said, “The state authorities are doing their part as the ECI has directed them to provide security to Sharmila as she travels alone almost all the time.”
“Security has been provided to Sharmila for her own safety,” he told PTI.
Meanwhile, Erendro, convenor of Sharmila’s party People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) said six personnel from the state armed forces were provided for her security. “They follow her continuously,” Erendro added.
The ECI, on Friday, had asked the state authorities to provide escort to Sharmila who is contesting the upcoming 11th Manipur state assembly elections from Thoubal, the home turf of incumbent Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.
Sharmila had formed her own political party — the People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) — which has fielded three candidates for the upcoming polls in the state. (PTI)