Imphal:  A lacklustre campaigning for Saturday's Manipur assembly election ended at 3 pm on Thursday with candidates confining themselves to door-to-door campaign and not holding major public meetings.

Reports from districts said the candidates confined themselves to door-to-door campaigning due to threats from insurgents.

"Unlike the past, we could not use loud speakers because of threat from some insurgents groups who said they would eliminate us," Thambou Singh, a Congress worker in Yaiskul assembly constituency in Imphal East district said.

Official sources said major insurgent organisations had been targetting and attacking Congress workers and candidates in the past two weeks by lobbing grenades or exploding bombs.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had questioned as to why insurgents were targetting only Congress and asked whether the insurgents had a 'hidden agenda.'

Withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 from the state and protection of the territorial integrity of Manipur were the main issues that that were highlighted during the lacklustre campaign, the reports said.

Except Congress, all major political parties had promised to withdraw the AFSPA, if voted to power.

The Congress said it would lift it only after an improvement in the law and order situation, the reports said.

Shortage of electricity and water supply, bad conditions of the national highways and problems faced by the state due to frequent blockades on the national highways were the other issues raised during the campaigning.

Tags: Assembly elections 2012, campaigning ends in Manipur, Manipur, Manipur elections, Manipur polls