Imphal, Nov. 2 :     Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Holkhomang Haokip and Congressman Abdul Hamid have won the Outer Manipur and Dhubri Lok Sabha seats respectively by comprehensive margins. Haokip, a prominent Kuki leader, defeated his Congress rival R.K. Thecko by over 28,000 votes, while Hamid cut through the hype over BJP candidate Bimal Oswal to emerge victorious by a margin of 21,340 votes. Both the results were declared this morning. The electorate in Outer Manipur clearly voted along ethnic lines, as is evident from the fact that Haokip drew a blank in at least two Naga-dominated Assembly segments but made up for it in the Kuki-dominated areas. The Kuki leader, who contested the last Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket and lost by a narrow margin, said the victory margin exceeded his expectations. Haokip?s decision to quit the BJP for its alleged anti-Christian stand is believed to be one of the reasons behind his electoral success. The BJP candidate could not garner even 10,000 votes in the Christian-dominated constituency. Sixty-year-old Haokip began his political career in 1972 by joining the Kuki National Assembly. He switched allegiance to the Congress two years later and remained with the party till the beginning of an ethnic conflict between the Kukis and the Nagas. After losing the Assembly elections in 1995, Haokip changed parties several times in a bid to survive in politics. A man with vast experience, he has served as Cabinet minister in quite a few state governments. Son of Indian National Army member Chungkholet Haokip, the just-elected MP was also president of the Kuki Inpi, the apex body of Kukis in the state, from 1995 to 1998. Haokip is a staunch critic of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), whose vision of a ?greater Nagaland? includes a part of Manipur. The veteran politician has always insisted that there can be no compromise on the state?s territorial integrity. Haokip told newspersons here after his victory that rehabilitating Kuki victims of ethnic clashes in the state was one of his priorities. He said improvement of the communication system in the hill areas of Manipur was also on his agenda. Assam Cong tally: The Congress has increased its tally of Lok Sabha seats in Assam to 10 by recording its second consecutive victory in the Dhubri constituency, reports our correspondent from Guwahati. Elections to the seat was countermanded following the abduction and killing of BJP candidate Pannalal Oswal by suspected Ulfa rebels. However, there was no decisive ?sympathy wave? for the party despite the slain candidate being replaced by his son Bimal. Sitting MP Abdul Hamid garnered 2,79,812 votes, while Oswal finished with 2,58,472 votes. Alauddin Sarkar of the CPI polled 57,735 votes and NCP candidate Ahmed Hussain secured 16,611 votes.