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Manipur Speaker claims inability
to convene assembly

Dhananjoy told PTI that he had written a letter to the governor explaining that there was still 'heightened tension' between the ruling front and opposition parties.

He said he had earlier called two joint meetings of both ruling and opposition parties to ensure that the ugly scenes of December one when five legislators, including two ministers, were injured after a fracas were not repeated.

While representatives of opposition parties attended the first meeting on January 15, all barring the lone Congress legislator and former chief minister Rishang Keishing boycotted the second meeting on January 20, he said.

Earlier, the governor had in separate letters asked the Speaker and Chief Minister W Nipamacha Singh to sort out their differences and also get the damaged portions of the assembly hall repaired. He asked the Speaker to reconvene the house latest by February 6 to discuss the pending motion against the ruling front.

Relation between the chief minister and the Speaker soured when S Dhananjoy criticised the government for 'all round failure' in November last and a large number of opposition MLAs rallied round him and projected him as a possible replacement of Singh.

The Speaker informed the governor that the repair work was almost over but he apprehended problems between the opposition and the ruling front if a session was convened in the near future.

As per the rules of procedure and conduct of business of the state assembly, a no-confidence motion against the ruling ministry should be taken up for discussion within ten days of being admitted by the Speaker, sources in the ruling front said.

The Speaker had earlier said that the House would be reconvened within 45 days from December one (the day he had admitted the motion). On completion of 45 days, the Speaker had extended the deadline by another 20 days, which ended on Sunday.

Ruling front sources said if the chaotic situation continued and the central government intervened, ''We will move court.''

Presently, Manipur legislators, barring the lone Congress representative, Rishang Keishing, belong to two blocks. The ruling ULF has the support of 35 members and the opposition Manipur Democratic Front of 23. One seat remains vacant in the 60-member house.

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