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Tit-for-tat expulsions continue in Manipur: PTI

In Manipur's fast developing political situation, Union Minister and the working president of the Manipur State Congress party Chaoba Singh and two others have been expelled from the primary membership of party for six years for indulging in 'anti-party activities', party president and Chief Minister Nipamacha Singh said.

The decision to expel Chaoba Singh, who is also Union minister of state for food processing, and the two others was taken at a meeting of the party's 26-member Central Executive Council on Saturday, Nipamacha Singh told newsmen late on Sunday night.

The CEC decided at its meeting attended by 21 members and presided over by Nipamacha Singh to expel MSCP vice president L Amujao Singh and general secretary Y Mangi also for six years on similar grounds,

The three were expelled from the party under article 9(4) of the party constitution for "indulging in anti-party activities and damaging the image of the party", Singh said.

The CEC's decision to expel the three members has been conveyed to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and NDA convenor George Fernandes, senior MSCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister L Chandramani Singh said.

The central leaders have also been requested to drop Chaoba Singh from the Union council of ministers, he said.

Chaoba Singh had said on Sunday that Nipamacha Singh and six others were "expelled" from the primary membership of the MSCP for "anti-party activities".

Criticising Chaoba Singh's `decision' to expel Nipamacha Singh and six others from the MSCP, the deputy chief minister said, "How can he (Chaoba Singh) expel party members when he does not occupy an elected post?"

"The post of Working President is not an elected one", he pointed out, adding that "he is appointed by the CEC with the consent of the party president."

"It was highly unconstitutional on Chaoba Singh's part to say that he would remove the party president without holding any CEC meeting," he said.

Meanwhile, the chief minister has claimed that the ruling ULF ministry headed by him still commands a majority as the eight MSCP MLAs who had left the chief minister's camp had not tendered their resignations so far.

The 11-month-old Nipamacha Singh ministry in Manipur was reduced to minority following a split in Manipur State Congress Party, lead partner in the ruling United Legislature Front, with the breakaway group withdrawing support to the alliance and expelling the chief minister and six ministers from the party.

Sports Minister M Hemanta Singh and seven other MLAs broke ranks from 31-member MSCP legislature party and announced withdrawal of support to the Nipamacha ministry, reducing its strength to 27 in the 60-member House with an effective strength of 59.

PTI

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