Imphal: In a significant development, individuals and politicians from the Kuki-Zo community intending to vie for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections face restrictions in the strife-torn state of Manipur.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) of Churachandpur district, representing the influential Kuki Zo communities, declared a collective decision barring any member from the Kuki-Zo community from filing nominations for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.
The elections are scheduled across two phases in Manipur on April 19 and April 26, with one Lok Sabha seat reserved for scheduled tribes out of the two in the state.
A notice jointly signed by Pagin Haokpi, ITLF chairman, and Muan Tombing, ITLF secretary, emphasized the decision, citing the ongoing challenges faced by the community.
The advisory urges Kuki-Zo community members to exercise their voting rights in the upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024 but refrain from contesting for the outer Manipur Member of Parliament seat.
While the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) is anticipated to participate in the election process, the deadline for filing nomination papers for both Outer Manipur PC and Inner Manipur PC is March 27, with scrutiny scheduled for the following day.
Meanwhile, there are reports suggesting that the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) may participate in the election process, despite the approaching deadline for filing nomination papers in both Outer Manipur PC and Inner Manipur PC on March 27, with scrutiny scheduled for the following day.
As of now, neither ITLF nor Committee on Tribal Unity Sadar Hills (CoTu) has undertaken any election-related initiatives.