Rights activist Irom Sharmila announced the name of her party as People’s Resurgence Justice Alliance. She launched the party in Imphal. She had expressed her desire to contest Manipur Assembly election next year when she broke her fast in August and had stated that she wanted to be the chief minister to further her demands.

Earlier in September, she also met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and sought his advice on how to defeat “major political parties” in her state. She has also said that she wants to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek his advice on politics.

On August 9, Sharmila broke her 16-year-old hunger strike demanding repeal of the AFSPA and announced that she would take her battle to the next level by floating her party as she wants to become the chief minister of Manipur to “press” for the demands.

IROM CHANU SHARMILA

Irom Chanu Sharmila also known as the “Iron Lady” or “Mengoubi” is a civil rights activist, political activist, and poet from the Indian state of Manipur. On 2 November 2000, she began a hunger strike which she ended on 9 August 2016, after 16 years of fasting. Having refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, she has been called “the world’s longest hunger striker”.  On International Women’s Day, 2014 she was voted the top woman icon of India by MSN Poll