Search the Internet            Tips

Stage set for ouster of Congress government in Manipur

Nitin Gogoi in Guwahati

With ten of the 11 Congress MLAs walking out of the party in Manipur and formally joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party and other regional parties, a stage is set for the ouster of the W Nipamacha Singh government in the trouble-torn state.

The split in the Congress Legislature Party was announced at Imphal on Thursday by veteran leader Radha Binod Koijam, who carried with him all but one of the 11 Congress legislators to form the Manipur Regional Congress Party.

Koijam also announced the formation of the Manipur Democratic Front, a new umbrella under which 23 MLAs from different parties have come together. The new front is also understood to have obtained the informal backing of assembly Speaker S Dhananjoy Singh, understandably the main aspirant for the next chief minister's post.

The other Opposition parties that have joined the new front are the BJP (six MLAs), Nationalist Congress Party (two), Progressive Federal Party of Manipur (two), Samata Party (one), Manipur People's Party (one) and Janata Dal-S (one).

The immediate task before the new front is to cause a split in the 23-member Manipur State Congress Party of Chief Minister Nipamacha Singh. Koijam has already expressed the hope that the even if seven MSCP MLAs break away from that party, it would suffice to would to pull down the "ineffective" regime currently in power.

Interestingly, the new grouping elected H Bhuban Singh, a senior BJP MLA as its chairman, thus making it easy for the BJP-led NDA at the Centre to bless it in dislodging Nipamacha Singh. Meanwhile, Radha Binode Koijam is leaving for New Delhi later on Friday along with Bhuban Singh to meet Home Minister LK Advani, who has already signalled Nipamacha's removal.

While the Centre is contemplating the imposition of President's rule in Manipur, the Opposition parties are trying to avert that. The split in Congress party is the latest move in this direction.

The ruling United Legislature Front has 35 MLAs in a House of 60, of whom four belong to the Federal Party of Manipur and eight are 'others', apart from 23 of the MSCP. The main Federal Party of Manipur had only recently split with two MLAs coming out to form the Progressive FPM.

"We are constrained and pained to come out of the Congress party, but the interest of the state is the topmost now before us," said Koijam, who has remained a loyal Congressman almost through his entire political career.

This is the second major split in the Congress party in trouble-torn Manipur, with Nipamacha Singh himself splitting it two years ago to form the MSCP. The lone Congress MLA now left in the state assembly is Rishang Keishing, who had served as chief minister several times in the past.

Koijam and Bhuban Singh on their part said efforts were on to convince Keishing too to quit the Congress and join the new front.

The new group has already started informally projecting speaker Dhananjoy Singh as the next chief minister. Manipur incidentally has been used to speakers taking over as chief minister, the most recent example being Nipamacha Singh himself.

Meanwhile, the MSCP has accused the BJP and the Samata Party of hatching a plot to topple the state government and install a government of their choice through unconstitutional and illegal means.

MSCP vice-president Joy Kumar Sharma said though the ruling ULF had a clear majority, the BJP and Samata Party were engaged in a toppling game with the help of the Congress. He also alleged that Speaker Dhananjoy Singh, who was elected on a MSCP ticket, was hobnobbing with the Opposition with an eye on the chief minister's post.

The MSCP is a partner of the NDA at the Centre, and its lone MP Chouba Singh is also a central minister.

EARLIER REPORTS:

10 legislators quit Congress in Manipur
Manipur Governor meets Advani: PTI
Manipur Governor air-dashing to New Delhi: PTI
Manipur may come under central rule, says Advani: PTI

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report