Can Kuki Rebels Play The Kingmaker In Manipur Elections?

He did not want to be identified, fearing retribution, as the Kuki outfits hold significant바카라 웹사이트influence in this area. He could not campaign for his preferred candidate and alleges that he could not cast his vote either.바카라 웹사이트

“Cadres of the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) summoned the tribal chief of our village and told him that every Kuki working for any other party but the BJP will be treated as an enemy of the Kuki people,” he said. "A similar pattern was observed in Churachandpur district," he added.바카라 웹사이트

The Kuki-Chin-Zo tribes usually clubbed under the Kuki ethnicity, the third-largest ethnic group in Manipur, had so long had the least influence in the state라이브 바카라 politics. With the Kuki group라이브 바카라 alleged powerplay in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2022 elections, can the group become the kingmaker by helping the party win adequate seats to form a government entirely on its own?바카라 웹사이트

In 2017, the BJP won 21 seats but reached the majority mark of 31 by allying with the Naga People라이브 바카라 Front (NPF), the National People라이브 바카라 Party (NPP), one Trinamool Congress MLA and an independent. Now, contesting without any alliance, they are targeting 31 seats on their own.바카라 웹사이트

While Churachandpur is the main stronghold of the Kukis, they also have a sizable population in Chandel, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Senapati districts. There are six assembly constituencies in Churachandpur, three in Kangpokpi, three in Senapati and one each in Chandel and Tengnoupal.바카라 웹사이트

The Congress allegedly suffered badly in the hands of the Kuki groups in several districts this assembly election but they were not alone in this. The Kuki People라이브 바카라 Alliance (KPA), a newly-launched political party, and the first claiming to represent the interests of the people of Kuki ethnicity, made repeated allegations on the same line. 바카라 웹사이트

“The responsibility of the ZRA (Zomi Revolutionary Army) is to protect the poor farmers바카라 웹사이트and community members and uphold human rights of all citizens, including the right to the freedom of assembly and of expression. However, the organisation has become a terror mongering group against their own people,” said a statement issued by the KPA on바카라 웹사이트March 4, a day ahead of the second and final phase of polling in Manipur assembly elections.바카라 웹사이트

Both ZRA and KPA claim to represent the same ethnic group of Kuki-Chin-Zo tribes, who live mostly in the hills, side by side with the Nagas, the second largest ethnic group of Manipur. The Meiteis, who live in the Imphal valley, are the dominant ethnic group.바카라 웹사이트

The KPA was launched ahead of the assembly elections by a group of Kuki civil society personalities바카라 웹사이트to look after the interests of the Kuki people. They contended that all major political parties, including the Congress and the BJP were preoccupied with the interests of the Meiteis, while the Nagas had the NPF for their political representation.바카라 웹사이트

“The Kukis had nothing, no political platform. Therefore, this party,” said Chinlunthang바카라 웹사이트바카라 웹사이트Zou, the KPA candidate from Singhat constituency in Churachandpur district. His constituency stood witness to ZRA members harassing, intimidating and assaulting KPA supporters.바카라 웹사이트

While KPA members had their dreams and ideas, rebel groups claiming to represent the same바카라 웹사이트ethnic group had other plans. They decided to support the BJP - not one or two organisations but as many as 23 of them: 15 under the바카라 웹사이트banner of Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and eight under the United People라이브 바카라 Front (UPF).바카라 웹사이트

All these groups are observing a suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Government of India and had in 2020 climbed down from their secessionist demand to that of autonomous councils. 바카라 웹사이트

Their support would influence the result in at least 11 of the state라이브 바카라 60 assembly constituencies,바카라 웹사이트senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, former Union minister and the party라이브 바카라 Manipur in-charge, alleged in a tweet on March 5.바카라 웹사이트

“Shockingly ECI held large payments to banned militant groups made바카라 웹사이트on 1.1.22 & 1.3.22 by Manipur Govt do not violate Model Code of Conduct. They do & I’m petitioning (the) Supreme Court. Payments were suddenly released during (the) poll period after (a) long gap. It murdered elections in 11 seats!” Ramesh wrote in a tweet.바카라 웹사이트

By 11 seats, he probably referred to those in the districts of Churachandpur,바카라 웹사이트Kangpokpi, Chandel and Tengnoupal, as in Senapati the Nagas are more dominant than the Kukis.바카라 웹사이트

The ECI refused to treat the payment as a violation of the model code of conduct, as such바카라 웹사이트payment was considered routine.바카라 웹사이트

Old plot, new game?바카라 웹사이트

Militant groups trying to influence poll results is no new practice, neither in Manipur바카라 웹사이트nor in other states affected by different kinds of insurgencies, including the Maoist insurgency in central, eastern and southern India.바카라 웹사이트

In Manipur, the Imphal valley-based rebel groups of mostly Meitei ethnicity had tried to foil the Congress’ chance of returning to power in 2012 but failed in their mission rather miserably, with the party ending up winning 42 of the 60 seats. Following this, these rebel groups - most of which are still at war with the Government of India – stopped바카라 웹사이트meddling with elections.바카라 웹사이트

Of the militant groups having a ceasefire or suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the government of India, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), or the NSCN (I-M), have repeatedly faced allegations of trying to rig polls in favour of the NPF that holds influence in the Naga dominated hill constituencies of Manipur.바카라 웹사이트

But in 2022, it라이브 바카라 the Kuki rebel groups who made the biggest noise by publicly pledging to help the BJP return to power. Quite evidently, these insurgent groups did not have faith in a newbie and decided to go all-out in favour of the BJP.바카라 웹사이트

There have been claims and counterclaims about the nature and components of the bargain. The BJP라이브 바카라 Churachandpur candidate, V Hangkhanlian, who served as the agriculture minister in the N Biren Singh government, ruled out any foul play. “The BJP has earned the trust of the Kuki people because of the sincerity it displayed in bringing a political바카라 웹사이트solution to the problems the Kukis faced,” he said.바카라 웹사이트

Nevertheless, critics point out an interesting 'chronology' of events worth an attempt to바카라 웹사이트understand. 바카라 웹사이트

On February 1, 2022, the ministry of home affairs released Rs. 15.7 crore to Manipur state government as a ‘backlog monthly바카라 웹사이트stipend’ for the members of Kuki groups under SoO agreement. The state government disbursed the fund among the rebel groups in the following weeks.바카라 웹사이트

It was a time when the electoral바카라 웹사이트campaign in Manipur had started to peak.바카라 웹사이트 Cadres of 23 rebel groups under바카라 웹사이트SoS agreement are entitled to get a monthly stipend of Rs. 6,000 but it had not been paid since October 2020. In a clarification to ECI on March 4, the ministry of home affairs said the funds released on February 1 was the ‘backlog’ for the period of October
바카라 웹사이트2020-September 2021. 바카라 웹사이트

Both these conglomerates are under a suspension of operation agreement with the government바카라 웹사이트of India since 2008 - being extended on a half-yearly basis over the past few years. According to the ministry of home affairs’ website, the last extension was valid from September 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022. It has not been renewed yet.

On February 25, the KNO issued a statement supporting the candidates of the BJP in all Kuki-dominated바카라 웹사이트areas of Manipur. The next day, the UPF followed suit.바카라 웹사이트

Kuki rebel group라이브 바카라 open support for the BJP is nothing new - it was first observed during바카라 웹사이트the bypoll in Saitu assembly constituency when the Congress had also lodged a formal complaint against Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA).바카라 웹사이트However, the scale was far greater this year.바카라 웹사이트

Whether the BJP manages to sweep the districts of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chancel and바카라 웹사이트Tengnoupal will be known on March 10, the day of the assembly election result. The results can give birth to new equations in this last bastion of insurgency in India라이브 바카라 northeast.바카라 웹사이트
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