Crisis averted for BJP govt in Manipur

NPP MLAs change decision after meeting Amit Shah

After a week-long deadlock, the political crisis of the BJP-led alliance government in Manipur was averted with four NPP MLAs agreeing to remain in the alliance after a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Miffed at the functioning of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, the four NPP MLAs along with an MLA from the All-India Trinamool Congress and an Independent legislator had withdrawn support to the coalition government on June 17.

An NPP delegation led by party chief Conrad Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, and Manipur deputy chief minister Y. Joykumar Singh was flown to New Delhi where they had a closed-door meeting with the Union home minister as well as the BJP president. Problem had started after Joykumar Singh was stripped of his portfolios in April this year by the Chief Minister.

Though there was no official briefing on what transpired in the meeting in New Delhi, the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance and Assam minister Himanta Biswas, in a social media post on Twitter, said, “A NPP delegation led by @SangmaConrad and Dy Chief Minister of Manipur Sri Y. Joy Kumar Singh met Honble President of @BJP4India Sri @JPNadda ji today in New Delhi. NPP will continue to support BJP govt in Manipur for the development of Manipur (sic).”

With the NPP staying in the alliance, the BJP seems to have a comfortable majority in the Manipur assembly with 18 MLAs of its own and four from the NPP, four from the Naga People’s Front and one belonging to the LJP.

The present political crisis has largely been attributed to resentment against Chief Minister Biren Singh’s perceived “one-man style of functioning”.

The insiders in Manipur BJP said that there could be another revolt in the saffron party, seeking the removal of Chief minister Biren Singh backed by a section of central BJP leaders.