Imphal, Jul 25: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Saturday said his National People’s Party (NPP) is working to improve its electoral performance in Manipur.
Addressing reporters in Imphal on the second day of his Manipur visit, Sangma said the NPP was strengthening its organisation across the state.
“We are trying to get as many elected representatives as possible. That is our target,” he said, adding that the prevailing situation in Manipur remains a matter of serious concern.
In the 2022 assembly elections, the NPP had won seven seats in the 60-member House.
Sangma said resolving the ethnic crisis in the state would require sustained dialogue at multiple levels involving different communities and leaders.
Stressing the need to revive Manipur’s economy, he said the ethnic conflict had disrupted the state’s earlier trajectory of peace and development.
“Livelihoods and the economic condition of the people have been affected. A strong economic policy has to be created,” he said.
Responding to a question on illegal immigration, Sangma said concerns over infiltration must be addressed firmly without causing hardship to local residents.
“National security cannot be compromised, but the issue should be handled carefully by taking people into confidence and ensuring that our own people do not suffer,” he said.
Sangma said he sensed “a lot of hope and expectations” among the people of Manipur, who were looking for a regional political alternative that understands the aspirations of different communities.
He said the NPP was expanding its organisational base across all 60 assembly constituencies, though a decision on the number of seats the party would contest would be taken by its leadership and election committee.
The Meghalaya chief minister also said the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes should remain a priority and that the party would continue to raise the issue.
Later, in a social media post, Sangma said the NPP’s mission for Manipur was rooted in the aspirations of its people and centred on achieving lasting peace, inclusive prosperity and sustained development. (PTI)
