6 Manipur Cong MLAs give up Assembly membership

Imphal, Aug. 11: Six Congress MLAs in Manipur have submitted their resignation from the Legislative Assembly and also quit the party on Tuesday.

The six legislators who had handed over resignation letters to Speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh the previous night, formally informed the Congress office here about leaving the party.

“Six Congress MLAs of Manipur have submitted their resignation letters to the Congress office,” said Hareshwar Goshwami, General Secretary, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee.

The six are among the eight Congress legislators who had defied a party whip on Monday and skipped the one-day session of the Assembly, in which the BJP-led N. Biren Singh government had comfortably won the confidence vote.

Those giving up their Assembly membership as well as saying goodbye to the party included Okram Henry Singh, nephew of Congress Legislature Party leader, Okram Ibobi Singh. Other legislators are — Oinam Lukhoi, Md Abdul Nasir, Paonam Brojen, Ngamthang Haokip and Ginsuanhau.

Secretary of the Manipur Assembly M. Ramani Devi said that the Speaker has accepted resignation of five of them and their Assembly seats have been declared as vacant.

The disqualification case of the sixth MLA P. Brojen is already pending with the Speaker’s Tribunal, which would be taken up on August 14, she said. About reasons for resigning, Henry Singh said they all have cited lack of trust in the leadership of Ibobi Singh because of whom the Congress failed to form the government even when it was the single largest party in the state after polls in 2017.

The rest two of the eight, who had stayed away from the day-long special session of the House the previous day are — Md Fazur Rahman and Yamthong Haokip. The Speaker said in the House on Monday that the two had informed that they were in home quarantine.

Sources said that Fazur Rahman, who represents Wabagai seat, has tested positive for the virus and has been admitted to a hospital here Tuesday.

On receiving resignation letters, they were summoned by the Speaker after the assembly session on Monday night to get it verified, Henry Singh said. -— PTI