BJP on Monday released its first list of 31 candidates for the 60-member Manipur Assembly elections, which are scheduled to take place in two phases in March this year.
BJP is in direct fight with the Congress in the State but is unlikely to project any Chief Ministerial candidate like in UP and Uttarakhand.
BJP has so far announced candidates for 304 of 403 seats in UP Assembly and 64 of the 70 seats of Uttarakhand Assembly.
Out of the 31 names for Manipur, the party has announced 20 candidates for first phase of elections, to be held on March 4, and remaining 11 for second phase on March 8.
The names of the candidates were finalised in a meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee, chaired by party president Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other members.
Formation of new districts in the State, about 80 days’ old economic blockade by the United Naga Council (UNC) on National Highway and territorial integrity of the State in view of the ongoing talks between the Centre and insurgent Naga group NSCN (IM) are the issues which will dominate the polls.