On Sunday, the Opposition Congress, which had formed the Manipur Progressive Secular Alliance (MPSA) after forging a pre-poll alliance with four Left parties and the Janata Dal-Secular, announced a common agenda centred on securing the poll-bound State's territorial integrity and historical boundaries.

The Congress' promise to protect Manipur's territorial integrity is significant because the National Socialist Council of Nagaland's (NSCN-IM) Isak-Muivah faction has been going to demand integration of the Naga-dominated areas of adjoining states Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, despite the fact that the demand has been vehemently opposed by all three Northeastern states.

While declaring the 18-point collective vision, Congress election observer for Manipur, Jairam Ramesh, said that the MPSA solemnly vows to the people of Manipur that if the alliance wins a majority mandate in the Assembly elections, the common agenda will be implemented in letter and spirit to ensure an accountable, responsible, responsive, and transparent government.

Ramesh added that the shared agenda pledges to completely execute Article 371 (C) of the Constitution, which deals with specific provisions for the development of Manipur's hilly areas, and expressed his confidence in winning the two-phase Manipur Assembly elections on February 27 and March 3.

N Biren Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur, has stated that the BJP-led State Government will guarantee that the special provisions under Article 371 (C) for hilly areas are not hurt in any way. Ramesh, who was accompanied by former three-term Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, stated that the MPSA will fulfil the democratic aspirations of all areas of the state under the single agenda.

Other plans on the common agenda include providing unemployment benefits to youth, achieving sustainable economic growth in the next five years to ensure a livelihood income for every family, economically and politically empowering women, combating the drug menace, and attempting to return victims to normalcy.

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