The Manipur assembly election saw prominent faces including Chief Minister and BJP candidate N Biren Singh, Deputy Chief Minister and NPP candidate Yumnam Joykumar, Assembly speaker Y Khemchand Singh and Manipur Congress president N Lokesh Singh fight to win.

Polling for the 60-member house took place in two phases — February 28 and March 5. The results will be announced on March 10. In the previous elections in 2017, the BJP had formed the government in Manipur with support from the National People's Party (NPP), Naga People's Front (NPF), and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). However, this year the BJP contested alone in the elections.

The Congress, which emerged as the single largest party in 2017 winning 28 of the 60 seats, has formed an alliance with CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc, Janata Dal (Secular) and RSP.

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Here’s a look at the SWOT analysis of the major parties and alliances in Manipur this year.

BJP

Strength — According to exit poll predictions, BJP is set to emerge as the single largest party in Manipur and retain power in the state. In the past five years, BJP under Chief Minister N Biren Singh has focused on economic growth and unemployment. The per capita income in Manipur has increased under the current government from Rs 38,954 in FY13 to Rs 53,930 in FY20, Quint reported quoting RBI data. Under the current government, unemployment rate in the state dipped from 11.5 percent in 2017-18 to 9.5 percent in 2019-20.

Weaknesses — BJP has suffered severe anti-incumbency against the government with many moving against N Biren Singh. Also, the National People’s Party (NPP), once an ally, has become a major challenger this time.

Opportunities — BJP’s main opposition is the Congress, which emerged as the single largest party in the previous election but still failed to form the government. In the past five years, Congress has suffered desertions in Manipur with almost half of its 28 MLAs leaving and joining the BJP.

Threats — The BJP in Manipur may have shot itself in the foot by not giving tickets to some deserving candidates. Also, some of its disgruntled MLAs and senior leaders may be contesting the polls as Congress, NPP and JD(U) candidates.

Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance

Strengths — The alliance of six parties, including Congress, CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, RSP & JD(S), is looking at securing the territorial integrity of Manipur along with its historical boundaries. In the last election, Congress emerged as the single largest party, but was not able to form the government. The alliance may make it possible for the Congress to return to power.

Weaknesses — In the past five years, the Congress has lost half its MLAs in Manipur, mostly to the ruling BJP.

Opportunities — The alliance is depending on the seasoned politician and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh to warm up to the voters.

The National People’s Party (NPP), once an ally of the BJP, has now turned foe and is openly criticising and accusing the saffron party. This may turn out to be an advantage for the Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance.

Threats — BJP is the biggest threat to the alliance which formed the government in 2017 by forging an alliance with four NPP MLAs, four Naga People's Front (NPF) members, the lone Trinamool Congress MLA and an Independent candidate. However, this time, the BJP, NPP and NPF are contesting separately.

National People's Party

Strengths — The National People's Party (NPP), which was born in Manipur, can feel the pulse of the local people. The party believes that the people of Manipur are looking for a home-grown political platform to lead the state.

NPP is known among people for its fight against Citizenship (Amendment) Act and its agitation against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in the entire Northeast.

Weaknesses — The NPP was part of the BJP-led government since 2017 but is contesting elections separately this year. Compared to its ally BJP, NPP is a small party, little known among the masses.

Opportunities — In the last election, NPP contested in nine seats and won four. This year, the party has put up 38 candidates.

Threats — Till this election, NPP was a supporter of BJP, which has formed the government at the centre as well. “Why would you go to the central government through the NPP? If you install a BJP government in Manipur, then you would be able to go directly,” Assam chief Himanta Biswa Sarma said recently.

Naga People's Front

Strength — The regional political party present in Nagaland and Manipur holds four seats in the Legislative Assembly. This year, the party will contest elections in 10 constituencies in Manipur which are Naga-dominated areas. The party is banking on candidates like D Korungthang, who won the 2017 polls on a Congress ticket but later joined hands with the NPF.

Weaknesses — Although NPF headed the government in Nagaland with the support of BJP from 2003 to 2018, it does not have that big prominence in Manipur. In the previous election, NPF was part of the political coalition with the BJP called the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). However, it pulled out of the alliance in 2019 in Manipur.

Opportunities — Although NPF has no open alliance in Manipur for this election, it could go for a post-poll alliance with the BJP with which the party has “certain level of understanding”.

Threats — Recently, NPF was involved in a controversy when a viral video showed its working president Huska Yepthomi calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a big liar”. The party soon distanced itself from Yepthomi’s comments against the Prime Minister, but the incident may have driven a wedge between the two parties.

Apart from these political parties, the Shiv Sena will be contesting elections in Manipur for the first time. While most of its candidates are greenhorns, the party has fielded T Thangzalam Haokip, former deputy speaker of Manipur assembly, for the state election. Haokip was earlier a member of the BJP.