For 16 years, Irom Sharmila was a role-model for the people of Manipur, an iconic activist who staged the world’s longest hunger strike against what is widely seen as a draconian law. And her decision to contest the 2017 assembly election against chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh was billed as the battle to watch out for in Manipur this poll season.
On Saturday, the battle emerged as a no-contest as Sharmila, 43, managed just 90 votes to hand, probably, one of the easiest electoral victories for the Congress leader as the ruling party appeared to have moved ahead of the BJP in the northeastern state. Experts attribute Sharmila’s debacle to her calling off her strike against the AFSPA, which many saw as big climbdown. Sharmila formed a political party, the Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA), but failed to find resonance among voters. Two other candidates from the party are also trailing.
Against’s Sharmila’s 90 votes, the chief minister got 18,649 votes while the second-placed L Basanta of BJP got 8179. “We really like her cause (for repealing AFSPA), but we’re compelled to support someone whom we think is capable of fighting back and winning the elections,” said Y Roben (42), a resident of Thoubal. Sharing similar sentiments, first time voter W Biseshwar (22) told HT that even if she had been elected, her party would not have been able to play key role in forming the next government. “People here don’t vote in favour of party or personality. The one who is influential usually wins,” said N Manitombi (54), a vegetable vendor at the iconic all-woman market in state capital Imphal.
Several of Sharmila’s close associates were against her decision of quitting the fast and entering politics. Some of them, even family members, deserted her. Undeterred, the 43-year-old went ahead with launching PRJA and cycled across Imphal Valley, interacting with voters and seeking their blessings. The party, the first to be crowd-funded, also received Rs 50,000 as donation from AAP leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. However, PRJA’s lack of presence in the grass roots and organisational structure worked against Sharmila.
