Manipur CM to meet Congress President

New Delhi : Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and 49 Congress legislators will on Wednesday meet party President Sonia Gandhi over the economic blockade in the state and poll preparations. According to party sources, Singh will meet Gandhi at her residence here. "Manipur Chief Minister will meet the Congress President over the ongoing tensions in the state following the economic blockade and also for poll preparations," a source told IANS. The Election Commission of India on Wednesday said five states, including Manipur, will go to polls to elect their new assemblies between February 4 and March 8. Manipur will vote in two phases -- March 4 and 8. Earlier in the day, Congress leader from Kerala Ramesh Chennithala met the Chief Minister at Manipur Bhawan here and expressed solidarity with the state government over the ongoing tensions. Ibobi Singh and the Congress legislators arrived here on Tuesday evening to meet President Pranab Mukherjee over ethnic tensions in the state. -IANS