Imphal, Feb. 3: The Left and Secular Democratic Front (LDF), formed by six parties, national and regional, is emerging as an alternative to the ruling Congress and its arch rival, the BJP.
The alliance, led by the Left parties, is preparing to field candidates in all the 60 constituencies in the two-phase elections scheduled for March 4 and March 8.
The Front includes the CPI, CPM, JDU, NCP, Manipur National Democratic Front (MNDF) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and it is preparing to announce its candidate list in the next couple of days.
The Congress today announced the names of candidates for all the 60 constituencies, while the BJP has announced the names of 31 candidates and is yet to declare the rest.
The Congress list includes chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh's son Okram Surajkumar, who will be contesting from Khangabok constituency in Thoubal district. This constituency had been represented by his mother, Landhoni Devi, for two terms.
The main contenders in this election are the Congress, which has been in power for 15 years and the BJP, which is riding an anti-Congress wave.
The party's national party leaders are making all-out efforts to dethrone Ibobi Singh and set itself up as an alternative to the ruling party.
However, the LDF is projecting itself as an alternative to both the Congress and the BJP. "The Congress is deeply rooted in corruption. On the other hand, the BJP is not secular. Therefore, our Front is an alternative to both these parties," the convener of the Front, Moirangthem Nara Singh, who is also the CPI state secretary, said.
He added that at present, the alliance had not thought of the post-poll alliance.
"We cannot predict what is likely to take place after the election. However, as we are expecting that no single party can win majority, we will play a role in forming the government," Nara Singh said.
The Front has been cobbled up a 35-point common minimum programme and the constituent parties will bring out their respective manifestoes with the programme as the foundation.
Nara Singh said it was constituted on the Tripura and Kerala models.
"This alliance of the Left and secular parties has been constituted for the first time in Manipur. We are not after power. After seeing the success in Kerala and Tripura, we decided that this model will also be successful in Manipur," he added.
He said the people are fed up with the blame game between the Congress and the BJP over the ongoing economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) and majority of the voters are looking for an alternative to the two parties.
