Imphal, Jan 28 (IANS): Ahead of the Manipur Assembly election, the main opposition Congress on Thursday announced a pre-poll alliance with four Left parties and Janata Dal-Secular.

Manipur Pradesh Congress President Nameirakpam Loken Singh said that the six parties would fight the elections together and were confident of defeating the ruling BJP.

Congress legislature party leader Okram Ibobi Singh, who was the Chief Minister for a record 15 years (2002-17), told the media that the 6-party alliance will have a common minimum programme unlike the BJP-led alliance in Manipur.

As per the understanding of the six parties so far, the CPI would nominate its candidate only in Khurai constituency, and in most of the other seats, Congress would field its nominees.

However, as the Congress as well as the CPI has already announced their candidates at Kakching Assembly constituency, the parties would have a friendly fight in the seat.

The CPI had announced two candidates and the Congress on Saturday announced its first list of 40 candidates.

Ibobi Singh, his son Surjakumar Okram, Loken Singh, former Congress Presidents Gaikhangam, T.N Haokip and 11 sitting MLAs also featured in the Congress list.

Though the BJP has yet to announce its candidates, its ally, the National People's Party (NPP), on Monday announced the first list of 20 candidates.

The BJP, which had bagged 21 seats in 2017, came to power for the first time, stitching together a coalition government with the support of four NPP MLAs, four Naga People's Front (NPF) members, the lone Trinamool Congress MLA and an Independent member.

The Congress, despite emerging as the single-largest party with 28 seats, which was ousted from power after 15 years

The elections to the 60-member Manipur Assembly would be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.