This move has been received with reservations in some quarters in these hill districts, such as the Congress Committee Nungba Block, Tamenglong District and Langol Village Authority. Besides, the other non-Naga communities in the hills are understandably not likely to accept such a move. Given that a national political party like the Congress is contesting all the seats in the state and there are others in the fray, though some have ‘withdrawn’ their candidature, these developments underscore the split in the politics in the hills of Manipur. However, the split is more palpable and significant in terms of the divide between the valley and hills.

In the valley, the issue of the ‘territorial integrity of Manipur’ becomes the other side of the issue of ‘Naga integration’ or ‘unified Naga homeland’ in the hills. This was the issue that almost brought the entire state machinery to a standstill in 2001. Thus, understandably, major national political parties have committed to the protection of the ‘territorial integrity’ of the state in their election manifestos. However, the effort to capitalise on the issue by the Manipur Peoples Party (MPP) — a regional party which seems to be enjoying a new resurgence with many political heavyweights joining it, notably former Chief Minister R.K. Dorendro and former Lok Sabha member Th. Chaoba — is a significant development. Observers point out that if the “Naga constituencies are seen as swinging the UNC way, it is very likely to have an equal and opposite reaction in non-Naga constituencies, particularly amongst the Meiteis in the valley”. Such an opposite swing may benefit the MPP, a party that, unlike in the past, has become primarily a valley-based party.

... contd.