Manipur News

IMPHAL, Feb 5: Reports of intimidation in hill areas regarding the assembly polls continued to be reported. One Phelix Lunghtoi, 35, son of Kinjelung of Maram Ching of Tamenglong AC was assaulted by NPF candidate, Samuel Jendai along with his workers.

Talking to IFP, Phelix stated that he along with some of his friends left Tamenglong district headquarters on January 3 for Songpram polling station which was scheduled for repoll. After reaching Songpram, he along with one of his friends went on a motorcycle to the upper Songpram village area. On the way back, Phelix was reportedly waylaid by Samuel Jendai who came in a Maruti gypsy along with his workers.Phelix was later asked to come along with the NPF workers,but the latter refused. Phelix said that he was manhandled by some of the NPF workers and forcibly taken to Songpram NPF office where he was interrogated for collusion with another candidate of the said assembly constituency. Later, he was allegedly beaten up and kept inside the NPF office.

According to Phelix’s statement, the NPF candidate had intimidated workers of his nearest rivals and used threatening words. It was reported that he along with his worker also assaulted  a resident of Songpram village,  Keibunsin, aged 30.

In the meantime, villagers who had heard of the incident reportedly mobbed the NPF candidate and his entourage and further blocked the candidate from leaving the village. Afterwards, after tendering his apology to the villagers, the NPF candidate with his workers left the village.

IFP photographed the tell-tale injury marks on  the upper and lower body areas of Phelix who is presently hospitalized at RIMS hospital for internal injuries. Protesting the assault, he said “ Elections should be conducted fairly and each individual should be given the right to exercise one’s democratic rights.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/02/mscp-worker-allegedly-thrashed-by-samuel-jendai-supporters/

KOHIMA,  Feb 5 (Agencies): The Congress will be fighting the ruling Naga Peoples Front (NPF)-led ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) on the issues of law and order and corruption in the coming municipal elections and next year’s assembly polls in Nagaland, according to party sources.

Officials and members of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) met here yesterday to discuss its strategy for the coming elections. It reviewed the performance of the DAN government since it came to power in 2003.

Sources said elections to four municipal councils and fifteen town committees in the state are likely to be held in the month of April. Assembly elections are due in early 2013.

The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee has identified two important issues —rampant corruption and glaring nepotism leading to misuse of huge central funds and lack of development, economic stagnation and escalating unemployment besides, deteriorating law and order situation causing escalation of factional feuds and unabated extortion leading to sky rocketing of prices of commodities.

A NPCC note released to the media said “Deteriorating law and order, escalating factional feuds and growing sense of public insecurity is a typical carbon copy of lawlessness and constitutional breakdown in the state,” the NPCC said resolving to intensify anti-corruption measures on a `war footing`.

It also alleged, “Parallel governments are existing in the state and DAN has no hold over the eroding situation.”

The meeting further entrusted NPCC to `rigorously` track and `pin down` tainted persons or officials in various departments, especially in education and home departments. Five FIRs were filed in the State Vigilance Commission against the two departments.

It lambasted the DAN government’s recent directive to enforce `no work, no pay` on employees for poor attendance. It said, the stance speak volumes on the morale of government machineries in a `morally and financially corrupt establishment`.

Congress sources further said, the municipal elections would be an indicator of the next year’s assembly election.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/02/cong-sets-agenda-for-municipal-assembly-elections-in-nagaland/