Chief Minister in a five-cornered contest

His deputy L Chandramani Singh faces the battle of ballot at Patsoi by four candidates from the Samata Party, NCP, Congress and the CPI. Chandramani tasted defeat in 1990, although he holds the distinction of becoming the first speaker of the state assembly in 1972 after getting elected as an independent.

Violence marred the first phase of polling in 27 constituencieson February 12, with at least five people losing their lives and a 72 per cent polling recorded. Triangular contests will be witnessed in Lilong, Bishenpur and Oinam while a direct contest is slated at Yaiskul, where the MSCP takes on the and BJP. Former chief minister R K Dorendro Singh (BJP) is locked in a direct battle with Kunjeshwar Singh of the MSCP in Yaiskul. Imphal sees the highest number of eleven candidates in fray.

Another former chief minister R K Ranbir Singh, who represented the Keishamthong constituency in 1974, 1980, 1990 and 1995, is contesting against five other candidates, including L Lalit Singh of MSCP, a former minister.

Meanwhile, the All Manipur Students Union (AMSU) has imposed "public curfew" on February 22, the second phase polling day in the State, and asked the candidates to desist from using loudspeakers for campaigning and holding public meetings, official sources said.

The AAMSU said in a statement on Friday that it would prevent poll campaigns to press its demand for release of its `finance secretary’ Chandreswar Sharma who was arrested in November last for the AMSU’s alleged links with underground groups.

AMSU president Premananda told newspersons on Friday it would also impose `public curfew’ on the polling day on Tuesday next to press its demand. Reports from valley districts said the AMSU activists have asked election agents and candidates not to organise public meetings or use microphones from 12 noon on Saturday. Campaigning for the second phase polls was to end at 4 pm on February 20, reports said. The AMSU president said they were demanding Sharma’s release without any condition.

Chandramani Singh had earlier said that the government was unable to release Sharma "without any condition." Talking to representatives of women organisations that also demanded Sharma’s release, Singh had said the AMSU functionary was arrested for giving shelter to some underground activists, official sources said today.

The sources said the Deputy CM had said Sharma could be released on bail under certain provisions of the law but this was not accepted by the AMSU.