BJP membership drive receives little response from hill areas

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jan 20: Although BJP is in power both in the State and at the Centre, the party’s membership drive has received little or no response in the hill areas.
Not a single voter from the six Assembly Constituencies of Churachandpur district and BJP Minister Letpao Haokip’s Tengnoupal AC has enrolled in the ruling party.
The number of BJP’s active and primary members have declined considerably in the hill areas of Manipur.
Of the 60 Mandals (Assembly Constituencies), presidents of 37 mandals were announced on January 16 as a part of BJP Manipur Pradesh organisational election.
Presidents of 23 mandals could not be elected yet and many of these mandals do not have the requisite numbers of active and primary members.
Eight Assembly segments in Imphal East district viz; Khundrakpam, Heingang, Khurai, Kshetrigao, Thongju, Keirao, Andro and Lamlai  have elected new mandal presidents.
Six ACs of BJP’s Imphal Central district viz; Thangmeiband, Uripok, Sagolband, Singjamei, Yaiskul and Wangkhei have also elected new mandal presidents.
New mandal presidents have also been elected for Sekmai, Konthoujam, Patsoi, Langthabal, Naoriya Pakhanglakpa, Wangoi and Mayang Imphal.
In Bishnupur district, mandal presidents have been elected for Nambol, Oinam, Bishnupur and Kumbi Assembly segments.
Lilong, Thoubal, Wangkhem, Wangjing Tentha and Khangabok in Thoubal district have also elected new mandal presidents.
However, BJP is still unable to elect new mandal presidents for Keishamthong, Lamsang, Moirang, Thanga, Heirok and Kakching Assembly segments.
Out of the 20 Assembly segments located in the hill districts, only three mandal presidents have been elected so far. Mandal presidents have been elected for Chandel AC, Ukhrul AC and Chingai AC.
The 17 Assembly segments for which mandal presidents could not be elected so far includes Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal, currently represented by Cabinet Ministers Nemcha Kipgen and Letpao Haokip.
Till January 19, not a single voter from Tengnoupal, Churachandpur, Thanlon and Tipaimukh was enrolled in BJP as active member.
The fact that not a single voter from Tengnoupal AC has enrolled in BJP as an active member implies that Tribal Affairs and Hills Minister Letpao Haokip is not promoting the membership drive of BJP.    
Considering the party’s rule that all Ministers/MLAs of the party should be active members of the party,  many have started questioning Letpao Haokip’s position as a BJP MLA.
It is said that all BJP MLAs/Ministers must be active members of the party and primary membership is not enough for any individual to be elected as the party’s MLA.
Only one individual each from Saikot AC, currently represented by Paolienlal Haokip and Henglep AC (represented by Letzamang Haokip) has paid BJP membership enrolment fee. But none of them has submitted their membership form on the National online portal.
The overall report of BJP primary membership campaign 2024 evokes a serious question whether Kuki-Zo people have collectively boycotted BJP.
Not a single individual from Tipaimukh, Thanlon, Henglep, Churachandpur, Saikot, Singhat and Tengnoupal has enrolled in BJP as an active member through the online portal.        
The number of primary members is also limited as only 670 persons have enrolled in the party through the online portal from the six Assembly segments of Churachandpur district.
This figure includes 183 from Henglep, 118 from Saikot, 11 from Thanlon, all represented by BJP MLAs.
From Kangpokpi AC, only 21 persons have enrolled in BJP online as active members.
Nevertheless, Kangpokpi AC has the highest number of BJP primary members at 11,000 among all the Assembly segments located in the hill districts.
Kangpokpi AC has a sizable Nepali population and it is not clear yet whether those people enrolled as BJP’s primary members belong to Nepali community or Kukis.
There is little response from Naga people to BJP’s membership campaign. BJP does not have a single active member to take charge of the party’s affairs in Phungyar AC, Mao AC, Tadubi AC, Karong AC, Tamei AC and Tamenglong AC.  
Only seven persons have enrolled in BJP as active members from Mao AC, 16 from Tadubi AC and 30 from Karong AC.
New mandal presidents could not be elected in as many as 17 Assembly segments located in the hill districts as they do not have the requisite number of active members, sources said.
According to the rules of BJP’s organisational election, each polling station should have at least two active members and 100 primary members.