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Left parties in Manipur alliance extends support to Sharmila

By Sobhapati Samom

IMPHAL, March 1 - The Left parties in the newly-floated six-party alliance � Left and Democratic Front Manipur (LDFM) � which claim to play a key role in forming the next government in Manipur, on Wednesday resolved to support Manipur�s iconic rights activist Irom Sharmila in the ensuing polls.

The constituents of LDFM are Manipur State Council of CPI, CPI (Marxist), Manipur State units of Janata Dal (United), Aam Aadmi Party, Nationalist Congress Party and the newly-formed Manipur National Democratic Front.

�A decision has been taken after we got a letter from Sharmila seeking support,� said CPI State secretary Dr Moirangthem Nara, who is also the LDFM convenor. �We have also attended the flag hoisting function of Sharmila.� The flag hoisting function of Sharmila, who is challenging Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh in latter�s Thoubal constituency on People�s Resurgence and Justice Alliance ticket, was attended by Tripura CPI(M) MP Jitendra Choudhury.

Highlighting the reason for supporting Sharmila, Dr Nara said that the Left parties in the front extend support because �it�s a part of our movement� and Left parties and its alliance parties work for an �alternative policy� in the State.

He alleged that both the ruling Congress and BJP are engaging in �blame game� instead of discussing issues such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the removal of which had been demanded by Sharmila.

Accusing both Cong and BJP as two sides of a coin, he said that the number of seats for Congress will decline while BJP will also get less but Left parties and its partners will win a �sizeable number� of seats to form the next government in the State.

�Without our participation neither Congress nor BJP can form the next government because there will be a hung Assembly�, Dr Nara claimed and added that the initiative of the front is not only for the Manipur elections but for the regional and national interest in introducing an �alternative policy� for the welfare of the general public.

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