IMPHAL: Among the three key allies - BJP, NPP and NPF - of the present coalition government in Manipur, which are also the partners of the North-East Democratic Alliance (Neda), NPP and the saffron party are clear that they would go it alone without entering into a pre-poll alliance in the state assembly polls.
NPF, however, said it is yet to decide on a pre-poll alliance and equations though it has a good relationship with BJP.
The saffron party, which has gained strength after many legislators, including an MLA of its ally NPP, joined it recently, has already announced to contest in all 60 seats.
Such an announcement could pave the way for NPF to go alone and engage in friendly fights with BJP. Notably, NPF and NPP, which won four seats each in the last assembly polls held in 2017, joined hands with BJP to form the government.
Manipur will go to the polls in two phases - February 27 and March 3 - for which contesting parties have stepped up canvasing, mostly in the valley districts which house 40 seats.
"We are sure that we will fight in all 60 seats and there will be no pre-poll alliance from our side, and we are looking forward to winning the election with an absolute majority. Candidates will be announced in three phases," Manipur unit senior BJP vice-president N Nimbus Singh told this reporter on Saturday evening.
"We are expecting to win between 25 and 30 seats in the valley and between 10 and 15 in the hills this time. In the last assembly election, we, too, had a friendly fight with Neda as well as the NDA partners. The same thing may happen this time also," added Nimbus.
Though BJP grabbed 21 seats in the last assembly polls, its current strength has climbed to 28 after it won four seats in the 2020 bypolls and six lawmakers from different parties, mostly from the opposition, Congress, and sports minister Letpao Haokip from NPP defected to it.
Manipur unit NPF president and forest and environment minister Awangbow Newmai said the party, as of now, has not made any official decision for a pre-poll alliance though its relation with BJP is good.
