Manipur situation will improve in 7-10 days, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Dibrugarh (Assam), Jul 1: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said the situation in neighbouring Manipur will improve within 7-10 days, with the state and central governments working silently to restore peace.
He hit out at the Congress and alleged that the opposition party is showing its concern when "relative peace has come in the northeastern state."
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur since clashes first started on May 3.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme here, the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor said, "The situation in Manipur is improving day by day. I am of the view that in the next one week to 10 days, there will be more improvement."
Sarma claimed there has been a lot of improvement in the neighbouring state in the last month.
"Silently, the Manipur government and the Union home ministry are working. You can see what was the level of violence a month ago and what it is today," he said, adding, "I can tell you with guarantee that there has been a vast improvement in the situation."
Taking a swipe at the Congress, the BJP's trouble-shooter in the Northeast said, "Now, the Congress is crying about Manipur when relative peace has come. They should have cried when the situation was volatile."
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Voting underway for local body elections in Gujarat
Ahmedabad (PTI): Voting got underway on Sunday morning for elections to several local bodies in Gujarat, including 15 municipal corporations and 84 municipalities.
Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, as per the schedule announced by the State Election Commission.
The elections are being held for 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats, making it one of the largest electoral exercises in the state.
A total of 9,992 candidates are in the fray, with more than 4.18 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise.
A three-tier security is in place, aided by CCTV surveillance and deployment of special squads in sensitive areas, police officials said.
The polls are being conducted under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, and required extensive delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
The ruling BJP, Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have emerged as the key players, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting in several places.
Among notable candidates are former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer M L Ninama, ex-radio jockey Abha Desai, and former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani.
Ninama is contesting from the Odh seat in Shamlaji taluka for the Arvalli district panchayat elections, while the BJP has nominated Bhayani from the Bhesan seat of the Junagadh district panchayat.
Desai, popularly known as RJ Abha, is contesting as a Congress candidate from ward number 10 of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.
Elections are also being held for the first time in nine newly-created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
Counting of votes will take place on April 28.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel campaigned extensively for the BJP.
The AAP had taken the lead over other parties in launching the campaign, with its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressing several rallies across Gujarat.
In a first for AAP, the Kejriwal-led party is contesting around 5,000 seats in local polls.
Other contestants include the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Independents.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi campaigned in the final phase, addressing public meetings in Ahmedabad and Bhuj.
In March 2021, the BJP scored a landslide win in the local polls in Gujarat, winning 6,236 out of 8,470 seats across various municipalities and establishing a wide gap with rival Congress.
The BJP had then dominated all six municipal corporations, besides 81 municipalities, 32 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats.
