Kim Gangte: People Looking For An Alternative To Congress

Corruption is the No.1 issue. We want effective, transparent and corruption-free governance


Power struggle: Kim Gangte. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

By Utpal Bhaskar

Imphal/New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) fought the Manipur state assembly elections for the first time. The TMC, which contested 47 seats, marked its entry in the state by winning the Konthoujam constituency in the 2011 by-election and is led by its state chief Kim Gangte. Gangte, a former member of Parliament (MP) from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the state’s first woman MP, explained the TMC’s strategy in the state in an interview. Edited excerpts:

As a party, the TMC is a new entrant in Manipur. What is your game plan?

People are looking for an alternative to the Congress. People look at didi Mamata (Banerjee). People feel that if she could bring a change in West Bengal by defeating such a strong party such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist), we could also bring a change here.

You have invoked Mamata’s name. The TMC looks like a single-leader party. Don’t you think that this is cult worship?
This is not cult worship. It is the ideology, the principles such as care and concern for the masses—the street vendors, farmers and labourers. She represents the poor masses to us.

You have contested on 47 seats in a 60-member assembly. What is the realistic number that you are looking at winning?
We are expecting 15 to 21 seats of these.

Were you approached for a pre-poll alliance?
Yes, we were. All the opposition parties approached us, such as the Manipur People’s Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal among others. We wanted to fight the elections alone.

What are the real issues in these elections? Is corruption an issue?
Corruption is the No.1 issue. We want effective, transparent and corruption-free governance. We also have a law and order problem. There have been human rights violations. Everything is bad here. There are no roads, no electricity. We buy one gas cylinder for Rs. 1,800.

What will be the impact of the Co-ordinating Committee (CorCom), a coalition of seven valley-based underground outfits, boycotting the Congress? Will that benefit your party? What will be the impact of the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) fighting the state assembly elections for the first time?
The CorCom’s stand against the Congress will not benefit us.

Why?
That question should be asked to the Congress. It’s not a matter of the CorCom. People have been looking for a change and they are seeing the Trinamool Congress as the agent of that change.

What about the Naga-dominated hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong? Do you think you will be able to make a dent there?
Yes. We have put up five candidates in those areas. In most of those areas, the people are supporting us as they look at the NPF as a local party. They look at the Trinamool Congress as a party which has a lot of say in the Centre.

What is your and your party’s view on Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Afspa)?
We are against Afspa and all these draconian laws. We live in a civilized world. If Manipur is a part of India, it is time that the Centre and the state government took these issues very seriously because the people are against it.

Since your party is a part of the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, what has it done to remove Afspa?
We have spoken to our leaders. They know the seriousness of the issue to a great extent.