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Kangpokpi and Churachandpur. There are 173 candidates in the fray, including 15 women.
The key candidates in the polls include Chief Minister N Biren Singh, state minister Thongam Biswajit Singh, speaker Y Khemchand Singh, deputy CM and NPP candidate Yumnam Joykumar and Manipur Congress president N Lokesh Singh.
The 38 seats going to polls in the first phase are Thongju, Andro, Lamlai, Thangmeiband, Khundrakpam, Heingang, Khurai, Keirao, Sagolband, Saikot, Imphal, Keisamthong, Wangkhei, Sekmai, Lamsang, Konthoujam, Langthabal, Naoriya Pakhanglakpa, Wanglakpa, Mayang, Nambol, Moirang, Thanga, Kumbi, Saikul, Kangpokpi, Yaiskul, Singjamei, Saitu, Tipaimukh, Patsoi, Thanlon, Uripok, Henglep, Churachandpur, Singhat, Bishenpur and Oinam. A huge contingent of Central Armed Police Forces personnel has been deployed.
The likes of PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his Tripura counterpart Biplab Kumar Deb, National People’s Party (NPP) supremo Conrad K. Sangma, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh had campaigned in the state for over two months. Issues like development, drugs, repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), women empowerment, unemployment and corruption took center stage of the election campaigns.
In the previous assembly polls held in 2017, the BJP had won 21 of the total 60 seats and came to power for the first time with support from four NPP MLAs, four Naga People’s Front (NPF) members, a single Trinamool Congress MLA and an independent member. This time though, the BJP won’t have that support as NPP and the NPF are contesting separately and their candidates are pitted against each other.
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