In the shadow of the ethnic conflict that has been going on for almost a year now, the Bharatiya Janata Party finds itself in a tight spot as it fights for the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency, which is set to vote on April 19. While the party’s lone candidate in the State, Th. Basantakumar Singh, is promising “restoration of peace” as a first priority, the BJP is also having to find ways to position the State government’s handling of the conflict positively.
Manipur has been in the grips of an ethnic conflict between the largely valley-based Meitei people and the hills-based Kuki-Zo people since May 3 last year. The conflict has led to at least 220 deaths so far, injured thousands of others, and displaced tens of thousands of people.
Also read | Ethnic conflict casts a shadow on Manipur polls; Kuki-Zo, Meitei people devise voting strategies
