The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its full candidate list for the upcoming Assembly Elections in Manipur. 

Sharing the list on social media, the Manipur handle of the party wrote, “Bharatiya Janta Party’s Central Election Committee has granted approval to the following candidate names for Manipur Vidhan Sabha Election 2022”.

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About a week ago, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had come up with a decision that the members of militant groups in Manipur which have signed Suspension of Operation (SoO) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the governments and currently stationed at the designated camps are entitled to vote by postal ballot (PB) in the upcoming Manipur Assembly elections.

Also read: COVID protocols for Assembly elections 2022: Only virtual rallies allowed, no victory procession

In a press release, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer Manipur said, “The decision was taken in exercise of powers conferred by clause (c) of Section 60 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and in consultation with the central government.”

The term of the Manipur Assembly is slated to end on March 19, 2022.

In the previous Legislative Assembly election in 2017, Okram Ibobi Singh-led Indian National Congress (INC) initially secured 28 seats, while Nongthombam Biren Singh-led BJP secured 21.

Also read: Manipur Assembly election 2022: Polling to start on February 27, results on March 10

However, despite the INC being the single-largest party in the Legislature, the BJP managed to form the government in coalition with the National People’s Party (NPP), Naga People’s Front (NPF), and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), marking the first time that the BJP had formed a government in the North-Eastern State. Nongthombam Biren Singh was named the Chief Minister on 15 March, 2017.

The election to the 60-member Legislative Assembly of the North-Eastern state of Manipur will be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3, the Election Commission (EC) announced on Saturday. Votes, meanwhile, will be counted on March 10.