Agartala, Apr 11: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Manipur and Tripura next week to further intensify the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign in the northeastern states, party sources said on Thursday.

BJP sources said that Amit Shah, one of the star campaigners of the ruling BJP, is likely to visit Manipur on April 14 and will address an election rally at the Hapta Kangjeibung ground in Imphal. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and other BJP leaders are also likely to address the gathering.

The detailed schedule of Amit Shah’s visit to Manipur is yet to be finalised.

Due to the ethnic strife, no political party has organised any kind of election rally in Manipur so far.

After violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, the Union Home Minister visited the state for four days from May 29 to June 1 last year and held a series of meetings with top officials, politicians, NGOs, before announcing a slew of measures to deal with the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities.

From Manipur, Shah will come to Tripura and address an election rally in northern Tripura's Kumarghat on April 15.

Tripura state BJP spokesman Subrata Chakraborty said that the Kumarghat election rally would cover the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat, reserved for the tribals.

Elections in Manipur’s two Lok Sabha seats will be held in two phases.

The Inner Manipur seat will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19 along with some parts of the Outer Manipur constituency (15 assembly segments). The remaining parts of Outer Manipur (13 assembly segments) will vote in the second phase on April 26.

The BJP has fielded state education minister Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh in Inner Manipur and extended support to the Naga People's Front nominee K Timothy Zimik in the Outer Manipur seat, reserved for the tribals.

The opposition Congress led 10-party INDIA bloc has put up Angomcha Bimol Akoijam for the Inner Manipur seat while Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur has been fielded in Outer Manipur (ST).

Voting would be held in Tripura West and Tripura East Parliamentary constituencies on April 19 and April 26 respectively.

In all 18 candidates, including two women, are contesting on the two Lok Sabha seats.

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However, the main contest is expected to be between the BJP and the INDIA bloc, comprising the Congress, CPI-M and six other parties.

(IANS)

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