IMPHAL, Jan 6 � Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Gaikhangam today appealed to the militant outfits not to ban the party in Manipur Assembly polls on January 28.
His appeal came days after the Co-ordination Committee of seven rebel outfits termed the Congress-led government in the State as anti-people and announced a boycott of the Congress party on Wednesday. �Public have to be given an opportunity to choose their representative or candidate in the polls, otherwise it would be against the people�s wisdom�, the MPCC president said reacting to a question on whether the ban would affect his party�s election campaign.
Hoping that the Election authority would ensure a conducive atmosphere for a �free and fair� election in the public interest, he also announced names of Congress candidates including three women and two non-Congress MLAs for the 60 Assembly seats in the State. The Congress had won 30 seats in the last Assembly polls.
Meanwhile, unidentified miscreants, suspected to be militants, continued to deliver hand grenades at the residences of Congress MLAs and its polling camps after the CorCom called for boycott of the Congress in the Assembly election.
A Chinese hand grenade was delivered at the gate of a polling camp of Congress party at a residence in Imphal West district today. Police recovered and defused the explosive.
So far, three candidates including two from Manipur People�s Party and one from Communist Party of India have filed their nomination papers till Thursday.
