CONGRESS MP DEMANDS FRESH ASSEMBLY ELECTION, SAYS PEOPLE REJECTED BJP
Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka on Thursday said Manipur needs an elected government which would be formed after a fresh mandate.
The Congress MP from Odisha who is also AICC in-charge for Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura was in Imphal to participate in a state-level ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chor’ rally organized by Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC).
Responding to queries from the reporters on Manipur issues on the sideline of the event, Ulaka said that despite having a majority in the Assembly, the BJP and its allies could not form a popular government in the state. He said, “The President’s Rule has been imposed in the state despite the BJP and its allies having the majority with 55 MLAs in the 60-member state Assembly.”
“I think the people (of Manipur) have rejected the BJP and they can’t solve the issue which is currently happening in the state,” he said.
He observed that the current crisis can only be solved by an elected government which would be installed after a fresh election to the state Assembly.
“We want fresh elections in Manipur after which an elected government can be formed with a fresh mandate of the people and solve the issues,” he said.
The Congress MP said that his party (Congress) will stand with Manipur and ensure peace and harmony return to the state.
The numerous visits by Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge for and insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Manipur were the sincere efforts put by the Congress toward resolving the crisis, he claimed.
Earlier, attending the state-level ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chor’ rally held in Imphal’s City Convention Centre, Ulaka reaffirmed his party’s commitment to safeguarding democracy and the Constitution by resisting what he termed as large-scale electoral malpractices across the country.
He said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had exposed manipulation of over 10 lakh votes in one assembly segment under the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency.
All the while, instead of addressing the issue, the Election Commission questioned Rahul Gandhi. This move is strongly opposed by the Congress, he said.
He further alleged that in Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, nearly 65 lakh voters had been deleted, most of them from backward communities like Dalits, tribal and the poor sections of society that have traditionally supported the Congress and the INDIA alliance.
Ulaka termed the move a systematic attempt to undermine democratic rights.
He announced the party’s next phase of the protest and said that a nationwide campaign would be started from September 15, during which the party aimed to collect 10 crore signatures and submit them to the Election Commission of India.
The main objective of the campaign was to ensure that elections reflect the true mandate of the people and not votes that were allegedly manipulated or stolen, he said.
A large number of Congress workers from grassroots levels to top leaders including MPCC president K Meghachandra, CLP leader and former chief minister O Ibobi Singh, CWC members of AICC, MPs, MLAs, former MPCC presidents, ex-MPs, ex-MLAs and PCC members attended the rally.
Addressing the event, MPCC president K Meghachandra said the public gathering reverberated with the slogan “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” as leaders and supporters voiced strong criticism of what they described as the ruling government’s betrayal of democracy and misuse of power.
He said the people of Manipur had been deprived of their democratic rights under the BJP-led government, which had failed to protect their interests and instead promoted corruption, favoritism and policies that undermined the rights of ordinary citizens.
He said that “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” was not merely a campaign but a slogan and a people’s movement to reclaim democratic values.
He asserted that the people’s demand was clear – respect for democracy, restoration of rights and accountability from those in power.