IMPHAL: Former minister and vice-president of the Manipur unit of BJP, M Hemanta Singh, has joined the opposition Congress.Approving Hemanta’s joining into the party fold as a member of the Thoubal district’s Wangjing Tentha Block (assembly constituency) Congress Committee, the PCC on Friday held a felicitation function at the Congress Bhawan in Imphal city. Hemanta, who was with the Grand Old Party for a long time, had joined BJP just ahead of the 2017 assembly polls. He also contested election on a BJP ticket. Sitting MLA Paonam Brojen of Congress, who defeated Hemanta in the election, has recently joined BJP.A few weeks ago, some key BJP leaders, including Okram Joy, N Dwijamani Singh and AR Khan joined Congress. Joy Singh had won five times during his long association with Manipur People’s Party (MPP). He was one of the senior spokespersons of BJP and Khan was the vice-president.Others who joined Congress include former organization secretary of minority Morcha of BJP Maulana Hussain Ahmed Qasmi. Three councillors of Nambol Municipal Council in Bishnupur district and a former councillor of the same council, too, joined Congress on December 21, said Manipur PCC secretary (administration) S Jeeten Singh.Manipur PCC media department chairman M Olen Singh on Saturday said the party will soon issue prescribed forms for candidates for the coming Lok Sabha polls. “The groundwork for the upcoming parliamentary election has already started. Our party will retain both Inner and Outer Manipur parliamentary constituencies,” he added.

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