Getting of more than 1.33 lakh votes in the 17th Lok Sabha elections in favour of the Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate in Manipur is the ‘moral victory’ of the party.
This was disclosed by the secretary L Sotinkumar of CPI Manipur State Council while speaking to the reporters at CPI office in Imphal on Sunday afternoon.
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In Inner Manipur parliamentary seat, CPI candidate Dr Moirangthem Nara got 1,33093 votes and placed in third position after Congress candidate O Nabakishore who secured 2,44972 votes. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Dr R K Ranjan won the seat by securing 2,61,802 votes.
On the other hand, Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat went to Naga People’s Front (NPF) candidate Dr Lorho S Pfoze who defeated his nearest rival BJP candidate Benjamin Shokhopao Mate (2,89,745) by securing 3,63,527 votes.
Terming the return of BJP in power as ‘unfortunate’, CPI leader Sotinkumar said that CPI will continue to take forward the public issues from time to time even if the party candidate could not make it this time.
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Participating in the press conference, Dr M Nara said the public have to judge the verdict adding that the need of the hour is to change the existing electoral system of the country.
“For this we require much stronger public campaign as the proportional electoral system is being used in 85 countries,” he said. He also demanded the tabling of the Indrajit Gupta Committee report for further steps for electoral reforms.
Congratulating the MPs elect, Dr R K Ranjan of BJP and Dr Lorho S Pfoze of NPF, he said both of them were elected to serve the people. So we’ve to wait and watch, he added.
The CPI leader also informed that the national executive meeting of the party will be held on Monday and Tuesday to review the party’s performance in the recently concluded seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.
Interestingly CPI candidate Nara got the highest number of votes among all candidates in Keishamthong (7693) and Uripok (7032) Assembly constituencies in Imphal city this time.
In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Dr Nara secured 1,92,428 votes and bagged second position after the Congress candidate Dr Th Meinya who won the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat by securing 2,92,102 votes. Outer Manipur seat also went to Congress candidate Thangso Baite in 2014.