Poll violence in Manipur, NPP candidate’s dad shot at

IMPHAL: Unidentified gunmen shot and injured the father of a National People’s Party (NPP) candidate in Andro constituency near the family’s residence in Manipur’s Imphal East district late on Friday night.
Lourembam Sanjoy, NPP’s Andro constituency candidate, also came under attack as he was rushing to his injured father L Shyamjai at Yairipok Yambem from Imphal.However, he escaped unhurt, sources said. Shyamjai, who received a bullet injury on his right shoulder, is undergoing treatment at Shija Hospital here.
The incident comes less than a fortnight after NPP, which is one of the key parties contesting elections in Manipur and a member of the NDA, lodged complaints with the Election Commission alleging attacks and threats being issued to its candidates by militant groups.
Conrad: Never seen this kind of violence during Manipur polls
Two hours after the incident, suspected NPP workers allegedly ransacked various houses belonging to supporters of BJP candidate of the constituency, Th Shyamkumar Singh. Besides damaging vehicles, they also allegedly assaulted family members of Shyamkumar’s supporters.
NPP national president and Meghalaya CM Conard Sangma, who visited Shyamjai at the hospital, condemned the attack in the strongest terms. “I have never seen this kind of violence that is taking place in the state of Manipur in the elections,” Conrad said while addressing an NPP rally in Imphal on Saturday. “It is very unfortunate that some candidates and leaders, who are not able to fight democratically, are using violence to win the elections. In fact, we, as responsible citizens of the state and the country, should condemn such violence in democracy and in politics,” he added. Chief minister N Biren Singh, while condemning the chain of violent incidents in Andro, said so far no BJP candidate has attacked other parties.