Manipur: Disquiet in BJP over attacks on Cong MP Bimol Akoijam?

• Some Manipur BJP leaders say public attacks on Congress MP A. Bimol Akoijam have backfired as his popularity grows among Valley youths.

• Akoijam faces sexual harassment allegations linked to complaints by 11 JNU students; he denies the charges and has challenged the university’s procedure.

• BJP insiders cite Akoijam’s 2024 Lok Sabha victory and electoral performance in the CM’s constituency as signs of his growing influence.

Disquiet is reportedly growing within the Manipur BJP over the party’s handling of the controversy surrounding Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, with some senior leaders acknowledging that public attacks on him may have backfired, particularly among young people in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley.

Senior BJP leaders, including chief minister Y. Khemchand Singh, his predecessor N. Biren Singh and state party president A. Sharda Devi publicly criticised Akoijam after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) recently dismissed him following sexual harassment complaints. But party MLA Tongbram Robindro Singh struck a different note, expressing trust in the Congress MP and praising his efforts to raise Manipur’s concerns in Parliament.

“Look, we should not have made personal attacks on Bimol. It has backfired totally. BJP state president Sharda Devi became overzealous and took out a rally against Bimol over the issue. It was a complete miscalculation of ground reality,” a senior BJP leader told PTI.

Party leaders have privately conceded that Akoijam’s popularity has risen sharply in recent months, with some describing his appeal among young people in the Valley as “unmatched”.

They believe the BJP should have handled the controversy with greater prudence. Similar concerns have been raised by BJP youth workers, who have approached senior leaders for feedback and guidance on how to counter the Congress MP’s growing influence, sources said.

One senior leader is learnt to have advised them to highlight the Congress central leadership’s opposition to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), drawing a contrast with Akoijam’s forceful advocacy for the exercise in Manipur.

Not all BJP leaders, however, are convinced that Akoijam’s growing public profile will translate into a sustained political challenge. Some believe factionalism within the Manipur Congress, particularly the influence of the party’s old guard led by former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, could constrain his rise within the organisation.

Congress sources, too, acknowledge that the MP’s biggest political challenge may come from within his own party.

The controversy and the political fallout

JNU dismissed Akoijam, a former professor, on 9 October following an inquiry into sexual harassment complaints lodged by 11 female students. Akoijam has denied the allegations, questioned the procedure followed by the university, and described the action as politically motivated.

The BJP’s women’s wing organised a protest march towards Congress Bhavan in Imphal on 10 October, demanding his resignation from Parliament. Khemchand also called on him to step down, while Biren questioned Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s support for the MP.

The BJP’s response extended beyond Manipur. On 13 October, a delegation of BJP women MPs, including Sharda Devi, met President Droupadi Murmu seeking her intervention. The party’s women’s wing also staged protests in Delhi and elsewhere, while its youth wing organised another march in Imphal on 16 October. Demonstrations in support of Akoijam were held as well.

On 14 October, a large number of people, predominantly young, marched towards the BJP’s state headquarters in Imphal, accusing the ruling party of politically targeting the MP. Some protesters attempted to enter the party office but were stopped by police. Another group staged a sit-in outside Akoijam’s residence. Some participants said they had no political affiliation and believed the MP was being unfairly targeted.

Robindro Singh, while publicly expressing trust and respect for Akoijam, also urged him to seek legal recourse to clear his name.

Manipur Congress has defended its parliamentarian. State party president Ibobi Singh accused the BJP of trying to derive political mileage from the allegations and divert attention from the continuing ethnic conflict. He questioned the timing of the allegations while maintaining that the law should take its course.

Delhi Police registered an FIR against Akoijam on 11 October in connection with the sexual harassment allegations. He subsequently appeared before investigators and said he would challenge his dismissal through legal means.

Akoijam’s electoral strength

Akoijam’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election is another factor cited by BJP insiders in assessing his political influence. The former academic defeated BJP candidate T. Basanta Kumar Singh in the Inner Manipur constituency by 1,09,801 votes, securing 3,74,017 votes against his rival’s 2,64,216.

In Singjamei, the Assembly constituency represented by incumbent chief minister Khemchand Singh, Akoijam secured 9,386 votes against 3,937 polled by the BJP candidate — a lead of 5,449 votes.

With PTI inputs