Phungyar candidate urges halt to recruitment before Manipur polls

Imphal: Wungnaoshang Kasar, an aspiring candidate from Manipur's Phungyar Assembly constituency, has filed a petition with the Chief Election Commissioner of India seeking an immediate suspension of ongoing government recruitment processes in the state ahead of the 13th Legislative Assembly elections. The petition, reported by Northeast Now, claims the recruitment drive is intended to influence voters before the polls.

Recruitment drive allegations

According to Northeast Now, Kasar alleges that the BJP-led state government accelerated recruitment for thousands of vacant posts across several departments, including Education, Police, Health, Public Works Department, Rural Development and the Secretariat. He says files related to long-pending vacancies were being processed at an unusually rapid pace just months before the elections. The complaint also notes that fresh recruitment was initiated before pending examination results were declared, causing frustration among candidates.

Corruption and bribery claims

The petition alleges that middlemen linked to ministers and MLAs are collecting money from job aspirants in exchange for appointments. It cites alleged rates of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for Sub-Inspector posts, Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh for clerical positions and Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for Grade-IV jobs. Kasar further alleges irregularities such as question-paper leaks and manipulation of interview marks, describing these practices as electoral bribery and undue influence that violate Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Calls for investigation and transparency

Beyond seeking an immediate halt to the recruitment drives, Kasar has asked for an independent investigation into all state government recruitments undertaken since June 2026. The petition also requests directions to the Chief Secretary and the establishment of an anonymous helpline for candidates who may have been affected by alleged irregularities. Northeast Now notes that this representation follows an earlier memorandum submitted by Kasar to the Chief Minister and the Governor, in which he raised concerns over pending examination results and the uncertainty faced by unemployed youth. In that memorandum, Kasar urged the constitutional authority to obtain a comprehensive status report from the state government, detailing pending examinations and measures to ensure recruitment transparency.

Earlier memorandum concerns

Kasar argued that delays in declaring results of earlier recruitment examinations had caused frustration among candidates and weakened public confidence in the recruitment system. He questioned the decision to initiate fresh recruitment processes without first completing pending examinations and announcing their results. In his memorandum to the Governor, he sought a detailed status report on pending examinations and asked for steps to improve transparency in future recruitments.

The complaint places the spotlight on government recruitment practices in Manipur ahead of the Assembly elections, with allegations of political interference and corruption now being raised before the Election Commission. The claims remain allegations made in the complaint.