Imphal, March 21: Congress has finally decided its candidates to be fielded in the two Lok Sabha seats in respect of Manipur after the state chief minister held a closed door meeting with the AICC chiefs at New Delhi last night, a highly reliable source said today.

Yesterday’s late night meeting has decided to field seating MLA I Hemochandra in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency while Thangso Baite in the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituencies, the source very close to the Chief Minister, O Ibobi disclosed Huiyen Lanpao.

I Hemochandra is the seating MLA from Singjamei AC while Thangso Baite is the former MLA of the Manipur Legislative Assembly from Singhat AC of Churachandpur district.The source also said that the decision of fielding the two Congress men in the election to the two seats from Manipur with necessary documents have been furnished to the Congress Supremo Sonia Gandhi today. The official announcement is likely to make late tonight or tomorrow, the source hinted.

The seating MP T Meinya and I Hemochandra who were the main contenders for the Congress ticket for the Inner seat, had stopped lobbying to the AICC leaders at the Centre since yesterday after the meeting between the Chief Minister, O Ibobi and AICC leaders, the source added.

Now the decision of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi will be final. In the meantime state CM, O Ibobi who has attended a meeting with AICC to discuss about the candidate of Congress has returned Imphal today. As he has attended the meeting he must have known to whom the ticket will be given.

MPCC will be organizing a meeting which will be attended by leaders of MPCC and main workers of Congress at its office at BT road tomorrow evening. MPCC President, Gaikhangam and state Chief Minister O Ibobi both will attend the meeting tomorrow. While the meeting will solve the internal crisis of Congress in regard of its candidature, the names of the candidate of the party are likely to be announced in the meeting tomorrow, reliable sources said.

In the meantime, Power Minister Phungjathang Tonsing has withdrawn from the race of candidature of outer parliamentary constituency, after he has been recommended by to the council of minister by the state CM. As he had withdrawn from its stand, the CM recommended Thangso Baite for the Congress candidate of outer parliamentary
constituency.

HNS