Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh presents a garland to his wife, O. Landhoni Devi, after she won the byelection from Khangabok constituency in Thoubal on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Imphal, June 5: The results of the bypolls to Khangabok and Khundrakpam gave Manipur two firsts — it made the Congress the first party in the state to get absolute majority in any election and gave the present Assembly its first woman member.

The Congress won both the seats, byelections to which were held on June 2.

Fifty-nine-year-old Landhoni Devi, wife of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, won the Khangabok seat in Thoubal district while Th. Lokeshwar Singh won Khundrakpam in Imphal East defeating L. Premchandra of the CPI, a partner in the Secular Progressive Front coalition.

Landhoni Devi, in fact, won more votes than Ibobi Singh had done in the February Assembly elections.

The byelection was necessitated after the chief minister, who also contested from Thoubal constituency, resigned from Khangabok.

With the two wins, the strength of the Congress, which had secured 29 seats in February, has gone up to 31 in the 60-member Assembly.

Though there have been single-party ministries in the past, this is the first time that a single party has won absolute majority in any Manipur election.

A delighted Ibobi Singh today rushed to Delhi to clear the names of five new members from AICC president Sonia Gandhi for induction in his ministry. The present ministry has only seven members.

Congress leaders speculated that Landhoni Devi could find a berth in the current team.

Before leaving for Delhi, Ibobi Singh told party members that he would induct the ministers very soon. He, however, did not mention anything about inducting his wife.

In her first public address after her win, Landhoni Devi today said she would work towards improving condition of the people of the state by joining hands with women’s organisations.

PCC president Gaikhangam said the success was reaffirmation of the faith people reposed in the party.

The Congress would continue to share power with CPI, he added.

Gaikhangam, who holds the health portfolio, tendered his resignation to Ibobi Singh yesterday.

He has decided to resign so that he can devote his entire time to organisational work in view of the forthcoming parliamentary elections, he said. “I resign to strengthen the hands of the chief minister. My resignation will provide one more seat for a ministerial aspirant and it has nothing to do with any difference between me and the chief minister,” Gaikhangam said.

Ibobi Singh, however, is yet to accept his resignation.