Imphal, June 5: A day after the opposition Congress wrested both the Lok Sabha seats in Manipur from the ruling BJP and its ally Naga People’s Front (NPF), Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Wednesday said that his government would continue to work with the elected representatives towards the growth and development of all sections in the state.
Biren Singh on Wednesday also congratulated the newly-elected Congress Lok Sabha members, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, from Inner Manipur seat, and Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur, from Outer Manipur seat).
In a post on X, the Manipur Chief Minister wrote: “I congratulate Congress candidates Bimol Akoijam and Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur for their respective victories at 1-Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and 2-Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency in the 18th Lok Sabha elections.
“The public has given its mandate, and what truly matters is that we all aspire for the welfare of all the indigenous people of the state. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP government will continue to work with the elected representatives towards the growth and development of all sections in the state.”
Biren Singh further said that “we remain firm in our commitment to work towards serving the masses and building a better Manipur for the future generations”.
Angomcha Bimol Akoijam won the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat by defeating BJP candidate and state Education Minister Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh by a margin of 1,09,801 votes.
In the Outer Manipur Parliamentary seat, Congress’ Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur defeated NPF nominee Kachui Timothy Zimik by a margin of 85,418 votes.
Akoijam is a professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, while Arthur is a former MLA from the Ukhrul Assembly constituency.
Arthur (50) belongs to the Tangkhul-Naga community, while Akoijam (57) belongs to the Meitei community.
Six candidates contested the Inner Manipur seat, while four aspirants were in the fray for the Outer Manipur seat, which is dominated by people belonging to the Naga and Kuki-Zomi tribes.
The polling for two Lok Sabha seats in violence-ravaged Manipur was held in two phases on April 19 and April 26.
–IANS