The ruling BJP and opposition Congress are locked in a close fight in Manipur in the upcoming Assembly elections, according to a survey conducted by ABP-C VOTER.
The two parties–BJP and Congress–are projected to poll 36 per cent and 33 per cent votes, respectively.
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The Manipur Assembly election will be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3, while the counting of votes will take place on March 10.
The sample size for the survey was 2,100 across 60 Assembly seats in the state.
The BJP has led over the Congress consistently, albeit with a wafer-thin margin.
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The trend observed so far seems to be crystallizing and the BJP’s edge has withered over the Congress from the previous round of tracker.
It is currently expected to win 25 seats while Congress is close on the heels with 24 seats.
The Naga ethnic party NPF is expected to mop up 4 seats and “others” could tag around the 7 remaining seats.
The crystallization of electoral trends has a lot to do with polarisation along ethnic lines witnessed in the state.
The renewed Naga assertion and reaction to it from Manipuri tribes is the defining feature of the coming elections.
Manipur polls are important for the BJP to show its continued dominance in the Northeast, especially with the worsening internal security situation casting a shadow over its track record.