Manipur parties unite against Census anomalies, delimitation based on old data

Imphal: Fifteen political parties in Manipur have jointly appealed to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, expressing deep concerns over irregularities in the ongoing census and vehemently opposing the proposed delimitation exercise based on the 2001 census data.

During a meeting held at Raj Bhavan, Imphal, on Monday, representatives from the National People’s Party (NPP), Janata Dal (United), Communist Party of India (M), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Republican Party of India - Athawale (RPI-A), Shiv Sena (UBT), Manipur People's Party (MPP), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) submitted a memorandum to the Governor, outlining their grievances.

A key point of contention is the Supreme Court's recent directive, granting the Union Government three months to conduct delimitation in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam.

The Manipur political parties have unanimously resolved to challenge this directive, arguing that using the 2001 census as the basis for delimitation would be flawed and potentially incite widespread protests.

NPP State unit president and former Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar emphasized the potential for unrest if the delimitation proceeds using the outdated data. They intend to petition the Supreme Court to halt the delimitation process in Manipur.

Sumant Singh, Secretary to the Governor, was also present during the meeting. The Supreme Court's order has sparked significant concern among social and political activists in the state.