Congress releases candidate list for Manipur; CM's son makes debut

NEW DELHI: Congress today released a list of 60 candidates for the Manipur Assembly elections, with incumbent chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh to contest from Thoubal assembly seat, which he currently represents, and his son making a debut from Khangabok.

Surajkumar Okram, the 29-year-old son of the chief minister is contesting in place of his mother Okram Landhoni, who represented the Khangabok seat for two consecutive terms.

Elections to the 60-member Assembly will be held in two phases on March 4 and 8, with counting on March 11.

The list of all 60 party candidates was released by AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, after it was cleared by the Central Election Committee headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Congress is seeking to get another term. It has been in power for three successive terms under Ibobi Singh. In the 2012 assembly elections, Congress had won 42 seats.

Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi has also cleared the appointment of Binod Darjee as chairman of the SC department of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee.