Congress Fields JNU Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam To Wrest Inner Manipur From BJP

Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, has been nominated by the Congress party from the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency. The 57-year-old associate professor at the School of Social Sciences has an MA and PhD in psychology. Not being a seasoned politician, he has been in academics and has an earlier stint at Delhi University.

Though Dr Akoijam was not been into politics so far, he has long engaged in social and democratic movements and public services. He is also at the forefront of raising his voice against the increasing ethnic tensions in Manipur even before the recent fresh spate of violence in the state between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meiteis in May 2023.

However, the electoral ticket by the Congress to the JNU professor marks his debut in politics. Dr Akoijam in a recent interview with Indian Express opened up about why he joined politics. During the interview, he said that he considers Gloria Steinem, Michel Foucault, Noam Chomsky, and Jean-Paul Sartre as his heroes, noting that they were all involved in political issues. Pointing out that he has also criticised the former three-term Congress chief minister, Dr Akoijam explained the current dire situation in the state to the news portal, suggesting that the situation prompted him join the politics.

The Inner Manipur constituency where Dr Akoijam was nominated was the citadel of Congress party and during the 2019 general election, the seat was captured by the BJP’s R.K Ranjan Singh with a minimal majority of 17,755. majority. With the Congress fielding the academician, it believes the JNU professor can easily sail through the seat, given the crisis that the state endured in the recent past.

It is reported that Dr Akoijam enjoys considerable support among the youth voters of the constituency. As a newcomer to politics, he is also trying to reach out to the older voters with his sound campaigns. His frequent appearance in the media raising issues of the state is believed to bolster his potential in the election as a person who can draw the attention of the nation to the issues in Manipur.

Also known as a film personality, Dr Akoijam has been a jury member in film festivals and has even produced documentary films. However, the BJP has chosen to replace the incumbent MP by nominating Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh against the Congress candidate in Inner Manipur.

 

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