With 15,085 votes, former CM Okram Ibobi Singh defeated his closest rival BJP candidate Leitanthem Basanta in the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly polls.
The second phase of the Manipur elections on Saturday will see a closely watched contest in 11 constituencies in the hilly areas of the state dominated by the Naga tribe.
By the end of the counting of votes today, if the party can pull off 31 of the 60 seats on its own, it will be a first full-fledged BJP government in the northeastern border state.