Songpi: Manipur’s 2027 Assembly race has got an early entrant from the bureaucracy. Doungul Paukholien Haokip, known as D.P. Haokip, former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax and 1985-batch IRS officer, has announced that he will contest from 59-Saikot Assembly Constituency. A native of Salbung village in Churachandpur, Haokip made the announcement from his residence on Thursday.
Haokip, who retired after over three-and-a-half decades in the Income Tax Department, said his decision to join politics is driven by a desire to return and serve his own people. He said his years in Delhi and across the country gave him exposure to good governance models and administrative best practices, which he now wants to implement at the grassroots level in Saikot if given a chance.
Framing his political entry in moral terms, Haokip said he wants to fight the election in a “Biblical way.” He referred to two scriptures that he said inspire his new journey — Matthew 6:33 on seeking the kingdom of God first, and John 14:6 on Christ being the way, the truth and the life. He added that his campaign would focus on honesty, service and righteousness rather than money and muscle power.
On his party preference, Haokip was categorical. He said he has sought a ticket from the Indian National Congress and will contest from Congress if the party accommodates him. According to him, Congress is a secular platform suited to his ideals. He also levelled allegations against the BJP-led government, claiming Christians have faced persecution and trials, and said Congress is better placed to address those concerns.
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Haokip further claimed that the mood among church leaders and voters in Saikot is tilted towards Congress for the 2027 polls, and that many Christian families are unlikely to support the BJP due to ideological differences. These are his personal claims and assessments; the Congress party is yet to officially comment on his candidature or ticket prospects, and other parties are yet to react.
If elected as MLA, Haokip said his top agenda will be to fix governance at the constituency level. He promised to push for integrity and accountability in government offices and among staff, stating that public servants must be answerable to the people. He said his long stint in tax administration taught him the importance of transparent fund management and rule-based administration.
He added that central and state welfare funds, scholarships and development grants must reach beneficiaries directly without being diverted midway. Better roads, better schools, improved health facilities and overall social development in Saikot would be his focus areas. Haokip said he will soon start touring villages under Saikot AC to interact with voters ahead of the election season.
