Watch: Union minister Smriti Irani dances with Manipuri performers during election campaign

Manipur Assembly elections 2022: Union Smriti Irani campaigned for the BJP in Manipur on February 18. (Screengrab from video tweeted by BJP)

Union minister Smriti Irani joined Manipuri performers for a dance routine while campaigning for the BJP in the state ahead of the Assembly election.

A video tweeted by the BJP on February 18 showed Smriti Irani dancing to Manipuri music with a group of performers while onlookers cheered. The minister was dressed in a printed black saree.

Hon'ble Union Minister Smt @smritiirani joined Traditional Manipuri dancers at Imphal.@BJP4India @narendramodi @JPNadda @byadavbjp @sambitswaraj @NBirenSingh @AShardaDevi pic.twitter.com/Utt1CRXMUm

— BJP Manipur (@BJP4Manipur) February 18, 2022

During her campaign in Imphal, Irani also had a traditional Manipuri meal with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and other BJP leaders.

The Assembly election in Manipur is scheduled to take place in two phases. Voting for the first phase will take place on February 28. It will cover 38 constituencies. Second phase voting for 22 constituencies will take place on March 5. Votes will be counted on March 10.

This time, the Naga People’s Front (NPF), which had helped the BJP come to power in Manipur in 2017, is contesting elections against it. NPF will fight from 10 seats.

The BJP is fighting the election from all the 60 seats in the Manipur assembly election.

At a rally in Imphal on Friday, Irani, the union women and child development minister, said the party will provide girls in the state laptops and scooters, news agency ANI reported.

"BJP can only bring prosperity to the state and can ensure people live with dignity," Irani said. "BJP will bring first AIIMS in Manipur after February 28. Girls are the pride of Manipur. We will give them scooty and laptop for their studies."

She also hit out at the Congress at the event.

"The Gandhi family did politics in Manipur with selfish motives," Irani was quoted as saying by ANI. "Manipur people suffered blockades where youth queued at fuel stations for long hours and parents used to send their children to other cities as they did not see any future for them," she said. "The Congress government was unfair to Manipur. "

(With inputs from ANI)