Imphal: An aspiring candidate from Manipur’s Phungyar Assembly constituency has approached the Chief Election Commissioner of India, seeking an immediate suspension of ongoing government recruitment processes in the state ahead of the 13th Legislative Assembly elections.
In his complaint, Wungnaoshang Kasar alleged that the BJP-led state government had accelerated recruitment for thousands of vacant posts across several departments, including Education, Police, Health, Public Works Department (PWD), Rural Development (RD) and the Secretariat.
Kasar claimed that files related to long-pending vacancies were being processed at an unusually rapid pace just months before the elections. He alleged that the sudden push was politically motivated and intended to influence voters ahead of the polls.
The complaint also raised allegations of corruption in government recruitment, claiming that middlemen allegedly linked to ministers and MLAs were collecting money from job aspirants in exchange for appointments.
According to the petition, the alleged rates ranged from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for Sub-Inspector posts, Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh for clerical positions and Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for Grade-IV jobs. It also alleged irregularities involving question paper leaks and manipulation of interview marks.
Kasar described the alleged practices as electoral bribery and undue influence, claiming that they violated Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Apart from seeking an immediate halt to the ongoing recruitment drives, he has called for an independent investigation into all state government recruitments undertaken since June 2026. The complaint also seeks directions to the Chief Secretary and the establishment of an anonymous helpline for candidates who may have been affected by alleged recruitment irregularities.
The latest representation follows an earlier memorandum submitted by Kasar to the Chief Minister and the Governor, in which he raised concerns over pending examination results and the uncertainty faced by unemployed youth.
He argued that delays in declaring results of earlier recruitment examinations had caused frustration among candidates and weakened public confidence in the recruitment system. He also questioned the decision to initiate fresh recruitment processes without first completing pending examinations and declaring their results.
In his memorandum to the Governor, Kasar urged the constitutional authority to seek a comprehensive status report from the state government, along with details of pending examinations and measures to ensure transparency in recruitment.
The complaint places the spotlight on government recruitment practices in Manipur ahead of the Assembly elections, with allegations of political interference and corruption now being raised before the Election Commission. The claims remain allegations made in the complaint.