Manipur political crisis ends, NPP MLAs to continue support to BJP

Ending a nine-day-long political crisis, four NPP ministers, who had pulled out from the BJP-led Manipur government last week, on Thursday withdrew their resignations and informed the Governor of continuing their support to the ruling alliance.

The four National People's Party (NPP) MLAs, who were led by Meghalaya Chief Minister and party's national President Conrad K. Sangma to meet Home Minister Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party President J.P. Nadda in New Delhi, returned Imphal on Thursday and met Governor Najma Heptulla.

"We, in writing, informed the Governor that we would continue our support to the BJP led alliance government. Our four ministers also withdraw their resignation letter submitted to the Governor on June 17," an NPP leader said.

Earlier, Sangma told the media at the Imphal airport that they have shared their grievances, issues and suggestion with Shah and Nadda and both the BJP leaders assured them that they would soon resolve all these issues.

"With some changes in the portfolios, all the four NPP ministers would remain the council of ministers," he said. Manipur Chief Minister's advisor Rajat Sethi, tweeted a photo of NPP MLAs, led by Sangma, meeting Heptulla on Thursday afternoon.

"NPP MLAs meets Governor to withdraw support from Congress and extend support back to CM N. Biren Singh led BJP Govt in Manipur. With this, the 'Secular Progressive Front (SPF)' created by Congress collapses in six days," Sethi said in his tweet.

Delegation of Congress-led SPF met the Governor, sought a floor test

In a separate political development, a delegation of Congress-led SPF met the Governor and sought a floor test.

State Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said: "The only way for BJP to be in power in Manipur is by using the CBI against Congress MLAs, manoeuvring Raj Bhavan to slow down any constitutional attempt for Congress, with allies, to form a government, and by giving pressure to MLAs by calling them in Delhi. Demand for the no-confidence motion has fallen on deaf ears.

He said that the Assembly Speaker's disqualification of selected MLAs who were supporting Congress' SPF before the June 19 Rajya Sabha election is a clear dishonour of democratic principles.

"Not convening a special assembly session for floor test is nothing but an acceptance of the fear of defeat by BJP in the house. The entire machineries have been abused to stop the floor test. This is BJP's destruction of the Constitution."

On June 17, the four-member NPP, the sole Trinamool Congress MLA, and an Independent MLA withdrew their support to N. Biren Singh-led coalition government while three BJP MLAs quit the party and joined the Congress, causing a serious political crisis in the state.

To deal with the situation, Sangma, Assam Minister and North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP, NPP and other leaders held a series of meetings in Imphal before the four NPP lawmakers sent to Delhi to hold meetings with Shah, Nadda and other central leaders.

While the Congress claimed that the BJP-led government in Manipur had lost its majority, the BJP claimed the issue had been settled with the victory of its candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls. Out of the 52 valid votes cast, the BJP candidate and Manipur's titular Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba managed 28 votes while the Congress aspirant Tongbram Mangibabu Singh got 24 votes.

Amid political crisis in Manipur, a team of Central Bureau of Investigation quizzed former Congress Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh in Imphal on Wednesday and also summoned former IAS officer O. Naba Kishore Singh in the Rs 332 crore misappropriation case.