Narendra Modi at a recent election rally in Manipur. File picture

Imphal, Feb. 20: The Manipur unit of the BJP will seek public opinion on contents of the manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections as security at the party head office was tightened today after supporters of a ticket aspirant demonstrated yesterday.

The youth wing of the party is organising a motorcycle rally on February 28 to seek public opinion on the party’s election manifesto.

“Our target is to gather at least 2,000 motorcyclists for the rally, which will cover all the 32 Assembly constituencies in the four valley districts under the Inner Manipur parliamentary seat,” O. Malesh Singh, president of the party youth wing, said.

He said the motorcyclists would stop at 20 stations to interact with the public to know about their problems.

The rally will begin at Public School ground at Khabeisoi in Imphal East and will converge at the nearby Youth Organisation Sporting Club, Khabeisoi, where a public meeting will be held.

“After getting the opinions, the party will send those to the national president for consideration and including it in the party’s election manifesto,” Malesh Singh said.

This is for the first time that any political party has sought public opinion in Manipur by holding such a rally as part of preparation for the party’s election manifesto.

The BJP is preparing to contest both the Inner and Outer Manipur parliamentary constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections.

The state unit recommended names of four ticket aspirants for the Inner seat and three for the Outer seat.

In the meantime, the main entrance to the BJP’s headoffice here was kept closed and visitors screened to prevent protesters from “creating further trouble” inside the office complex.

The tightened security measure came after alleged supporters of a lady ticket aspirant, Oinam Indira, who contested unsuccessfully against chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh from Thoubal Assembly constituency in the 2012 Assembly election, demonstrated at the party office yesterday. They accused state party president Th. Chaoba Singh of favouritism in selection of party candidate for the Inner seat.

Around 30 protesters chanted slogans demanding the removal of Chaoba Singh.

They also held placards reading “Remove Chaoba” and “Save BJP.”

Chaoba denied the charge of being partial and termed the demonstration a “sign of a growing BJP” in Manipur.

Sharda Devi, state spokesperson for the party, also clarified that there was no favouritism on the part of the state unit in the process of recommending names of the ticket aspirants.

A group of alleged supporters of Indira Devi again tried to enter the party office today for another round of demonstration. However, they were not allowed to enter the office, party sources said.