Correspondent
A large number of villagers, alleged to be supporters of a Congress candidate forced to cancel Union minister of state for external affairs and education RK Ranjan from taking part in an election rally in Manipur’s Noney district on Saturday.
The incident happened at Longmai Part-1 of Noney district where the Union minister was planning to canvas for BJP candidate Dinganglung Gangmei from Nungba AC.
Villagers set afire woods and bamboo at the helipad in a bid to prevent the chopper carrying the Union minister along with some state BJP leader from landing.
The chopper eventually returned to Imphal citing security reasons, forcing the Union minister to cancel participation in the rally in Noney district.
In the constituency which will go to poll in the second and final phase (on March 5), BJP candidate Dinganglung Gangmei from is in a straight fight with Congress candidate and former deputy chief minister Gaikhangam who is seeking re-election for the eighth consecutive term.BJP held the election rally amid tightened security measure without the union minister.
According to a local report, the villagers disallowed the chopper from landing alleging there was no prior information regarding the visit of the Union minister.
However, another report close to the BJP alleged that the chopper was prevented from landing by supporters of the Congress candidate.
Local reports also stated that a clash broke out among supporters of the two candidates in wheich there was no casualty reported.
Nungba AC is among the 22nd Assembly constituencies which will go to poll in the second and final phase of the elections to the 60-seat Manipur Assembly on March 5.
It is the only constituency in Nungba district created by the then Congress government. It was bifurcated from Tamenglong district ahead of the 2017 elections to the state Assembly.
