Seven names till now for Outer

Imphal, March 10: The Manipur unit of the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) today announced the name of former minister Soso Lorho as the party’s candidate in the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency.

The NCP also announced former minister C. Doungel as the party’s candidate in the Outer seat.

With these names, the number of candidates in the Outer, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes, has gone up to seven.

Earlier, the BJP and the Congress had announced their candidates — former cabinet minister and historian Gangmumei Kamei and sitting MP Thangso Baite, respectively.

Janata Dal (U) also announced the name of social worker Len Gangte as its candidate yesterday.

Today, two more parties announced their candidates. CPI (M-L) announced Lamlanmoi Gangte, who contested in the last Lok Sabha election as an Independent, as the party’s candidate for the Outer.

Trinamul Congress also announced that former Lok Sabha MP Kim Gangte would be its candidate in the Outer constituency.

So far, names of five candidates have been announced for the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency. They are sitting MP Thokchom Meinya Singh (Congress), environmentalist R.K. Ranjan Singh (BJP), retired IPS officer Sarangthem Manaobi (Trinamul Congress), Moirangthem Nara Singh (Left and secular alliance) and retired chief engineer of Manipur PWD, G. Tonsana Sharma (Manipur Democratic Peoples Front).

The NPF candidate could prove a major hurdle in BJP candidate Gangmumei Kamei’s efforts to garner Naga votes.

Lorho, 69, who is the present president of Manipur unit of the NPF, is a seasoned politician, who had held key portfolios in various Congress ministries in the past. He was first elected to the Manipur Assembly on a Congress ticket in 1980 and became a cabinet minister and two more times, again as a Congress nominee.

Athuan Abonmai, general secretary of NPF Manipur unit, said the name of Lorho was announced after getting approval of central party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu.