Imphal, Mar 26: After a prolonged wait, Th Basanta Kumar Singh has been announced as the BJP candidate for the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency.
Though the election is scheduled to be held in the first phase, the ruling party took the longest time to announce its candidacy. Th. Basanta Kumar Singh is currently holding the portfolio of the Education Ministry in the N. Biren Singh cabinet. The name of Th Basanta Kumar Singh is finalised after a prolonged deliberation within the party.
Th. Basanta Kumar was elected as a BJP MLA in the 2022 Manipur Legislative Assembly Election from Nambol AC in Bishnupur District. He is a retired IPS officer with a Master of Arts from Saint Stephen College, Delhi University, in 1987, and he also holds an LLB degree from Manipur University in 2002. Th Basanta Kumar is the son of Th. Chaoba Singh, the former Union Minister of State, Culture, Youth Affairs, and Sports in the government of the then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Speculations are going round in the media that the ruling party may not contest at all in Manipur, however, it has become a matter of prestige for party workers.
It may be mentioned that the party is not contesting elections from the Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency and has decided to support its alliance partner, the NPF candidate. However, party workers revolted against the decision in Senapati, where disgruntled workers destroyed the properties of the local party office.
