The Congress won both the Lok Sabha seats in violence-stricken Manipur—Inner and Outer Manipur—defeating the BJP-National People’s Party (NPP)-Naga People’s Front (NPF) alliance on Tuesday.
In the Inner Manipur constituency, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam emerged victorious, while Alfred Kan-Ngam Arthur triumphed in the Outer Manipur constituency. They defeated Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh and Kacchui Timothy Zimik of the BJP-NPP-NPF alliance.
Bimol, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, was a popular choice for voters seeking an alternative to the ruling BJP. He garnered 374,017 out of 789,912 total votes. He was selected by senior Congress leaders during a period of state unrest, as no other party leaders were willing to run.
Arthur’s victory in the Outer Manipur constituency makes him the third Tangkhul Naga to secure a Lok Sabha seat, following Rungsung Suisa’s win in 1957. The 50-year-old former legislator defeated NPF’s Zimik by a margin of over 60,000 votes.
Other candidates for the Inner seat included Maheshwar Thounaojam of RPI (Athawale), independent candidate Moirangthem Totomsana, Rajkumar Somendra Singh, and Haorungbam Sarat.
In the Outer Manipur constituency, Arthur clinched victory by garnering 384,954 out of 789,793 total votes. Coinciding with his 51st birthday, Arthur triumphed over his closest competitor, NPF’s Kachui Timothy Zimik, who received 299,536 votes.
All four Naga candidates vied for the Outer Manipur seat, including independent contenders S Kho John and Alyson Abonmai.
Manipur has been embroiled in conflict since May of last year, sparked by ethnic tensions following a protest march by Kuki tribals in the hill districts. They were demonstrating against the demand for Scheduled Tribes status by the valley-dominant Meitei community.
Since the unrest began last year, more than 220 individuals from both communities, including security personnel, have lost their lives in the ongoing violence.
