IMPHAL, July 19: MPCC president and state home minister Gaikhangam has stated that the UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee will get all votes from 60 MLAs and three MPs of Manipur.
The state home minister was speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan today in connection with the Presidential Election.
Gaikhangam stated that 42 MLAs of Indian National Congress (INC), seven MLAs of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), five MLAs of Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP), four MLAs of Naga Peoples Front (NPF) and one MLA each of Lok Jana Shakti Party (LJSP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have showed their willingness to cast vote in favour of Pranab Mukherjee.
He further maintained that the presidential poll in the state began at 10 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m at the Committee Room of Manipur Legislative Assembly. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi was the first to cast vote folowed by Speaker Th Lokeshwar. The poll ended at around 1.30 pm with 100 percent turnout. Y Indira Devi, secretary and M Ramani Devi , deputy secretary, Manipur Legistlative Assembly were the assistant returning officers in respect of Manipur State.
At the Parliament House, Rajya Sabha MP Rishang Keishing was the first one to cast vote followed by Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Ballot paper was used in the presidential election instead of the Electronic Voting Machine. The ballot boxes will be deposited tomorrow in New Delhi and votes will be counted on July 22.
Gaikhangam on behalf of MPCC thanked to all the MLAs of Manipur who casted their votes for the office of Presidency of India and he said that it is part of history that Pranab Mukherjee is getting cent percent votes from the state of Manipur and he said that it is a benchmark in the history of politics.
Further in the press meet Gaikhngam said that the state has tentative plan to shift the central jail where there are only 20 to 30 lady inmates to Sajiwa where the government has already identified the site for the construction of Police Headquarters. He added that the state Government is very much concern on preserving the structure of central jail as it is very close to the history of Manipur.
He further declared that 10 new police stations will be enacted soon in Manipur and few police stations have already been upgraded. He said that the Home Minister of India calls for strengthening all the police stations by posting at least 50 police personnel at each station. He said that the result for the Mahila Battalion of IRB will soon be listed out.