IMPHAL, March 11 - Even though the Congress has emerged the single largest party, voters in the two-phase Manipur Assembly elections held on March 4 and 8, have not given a clear verdict to any of the parties when the result was declared on Saturday.
Congress got 28 of the 60 seats in the State Assembly while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which couldn�t win a single seat in 2012 Assembly elections, put up a great performance to pick up 21 seats this time.
Naga People�s Front (NPF) bagged four seats as in the last elections while National People�s Party (NPP) also jumped from zero to four seats in this election, All India Trinamool Congress which bagged seven seats in the last elections along with Lok Jan Shakti Party and Independent, won just one seat each.
Expressing satisfaction over BJP�s performance, party leaders claimed that they will form the next government in the State after consulting the NDA alliance parties.
�We will be holding a meeting of newly-elected party members along with the party�s central leaders and some others this evening,� said BJP State unit leader Thongam Biswajit who retained his Thongju seat by defeating his nearest Congress rival Th Ajit by a margin of 7,301 votes.
Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh who retained his Thoubal seat by beating his rival BJP candidate L Basanta by a huge margin of 10,470 votes, could not be contacted. But, State Congress chief TN Haokip, when asked whether his party will initiate any talk for forming the government, said, �Why not. We will be discussing it.�
Haokip retained his Saikot seat in Churachandpur district by defeating BJP candidate Paokholal Haokip by a margin of 5,101 votes. He got 16,354 votes.
Ibobi got 18,649 votes while his rival BJP candidate Basanta got 8,179 votes in Thoubal. Iconic rights activist Irom Sharmila, who also contested from Thoubal seat, lost in her maiden election fight. She received just 90 votes.
Speaking to media after the results were declared, Sharmila said, �I will stop contesting in elections as I�m really fed up of it. But I will help Peoples Resurgence and Justice Alliance to survive.�
Prominent losers in Manipur elections include Revenue and Forest Minister I Hemochandra, Education Minister Dr Kh Ratankumar, Rural Development Minister M Okendro and former Congress Minister and National Peoples Party candidate Phungzathang Tonsing, who all lost to their rival BJP candidates in Singjamei, Mayang Imphal, Heirok and Churachandpur.
Senior BJP State election committee chairman and potential CM candidate Thounaojam Chaoba Singh lost to N Loken of Congress in Nambol, while former opposition firebrand leader and BJP candidate from Langthabal O Joy, lost to Lok Janshakti Party. Former Congress Ministers, who switched to BJP, Y Erabot and Francis Ngajokpa were other important losers.