Gearing up for the upcoming 18th Lok Sabha Elections, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee has announced its formidable contenders to vie for parliamentary seats representing the state. Dr. Bimol Akoijam, a distinguished educator from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and former legislator Alfred Kan-Ngam Arthur have been nominated as the party's candidates for the Inner and Outer Parliamentary constituencies respectively.
Earlier on March 19, alleged cadres of the proscribed militant group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M) reportedly opened fire on the Congress Party's Lok Sabha election candidate, Alfred Kangnam Arthur. The incident transpired during a village-level consultative meeting held at Teinem village in Manipur's Ukhrul district.
Despite the encounter, Alfred Kangnam Arthur managed to evade harm, emerging unscathed from the ordeal. The occurrence unfolded around 2 pm, just before the commencement of the scheduled meeting, as confirmed by K Meghachandra, the PCC President.
Expressing vehement condemnation, Meghachandra raised poignant questions regarding the feasibility of conducting elections in Manipur amidst such perilous circumstances. The brazen attack on a political candidate highlights the fragile security situation prevailing in certain regions of the state.
Remarkably, despite the looming threat, the public persevered with the scheduled program, with approximately 400 individuals in attendance.
This alarming incident follows a similar occurrence on March 18, where unidentified assailants disrupted an interaction program at TK Woodland Resort in Shirui by firing multiple gunshots. However, in both instances, the resolute spirit of the public prevailed as they defiantly proceeded with the planned activities despite the looming threat of violence.