The deepening conundrum of Manipur politics

As the Congress filing a no-confidence motion against the BJP led ruling coalition government in Manipur, the conundrum of the state politics is set to further deep ahead of the monsoon session that starting from August 10. According to reports, four BJP MLAs were absent to the meeting called by the chief minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday.

New Delhi: With the Congress filing a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led ruling coalition government in Manipur and Chief Minister N. Biren Singh holding a meeting of all ruling MLAs this week, the conundrum in the politics of the northeastern state is set to further deepen ahead of the monsoon session of the Assembly starting August 10.

On Tuesday, the Congress filed a petition for no-confidence against the state government with the Secretary of the 60-member Manipur State Assembly over demand for handing over a drug haul case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Following this, on Wednesday, Chief Minister Singh called a meeting of all 29 MLAs of the BJP-led coalition, including from the National People’s Party (NPP), the Naga People’s Front (NPF), a TMC legislator and an Independent MLA.

However, according to reports, four BJP MLAs – N. Indrajit, L. Rameshor Meitei, Dr Y. Radheshyam of Hiyanglam and L Radhakishore – were conspicuous by their absence from the meeting. The support of these MLAs is crucial for the continuance of the current government.

This has sparked a numbers crisis in the state’s politics again even as the government had emerged out of a similar crisis only in June this year.

Last month, three BJP MLAs resigned from the party and joined the Congress and the NPP threatened to pull out of the government putting the Biren Singh government in jeopardy. The crisis came to an end only after the intervention of the BJP’s chief trouble-shooter in the Northeast and Convenor of the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP leader Conrad Sangma.

Then, earlier this month the Congress issued showcause notices to two of its MLAs, R.K. Imo and Okram Henry, as they had voted for BJP candidate Leisemba Sanajaoba, a former Manipur royal, in the Rajya Sabha elections. While Imo is the son of former Congress Chief Minister R.K. Jaichandra Singh and son-in-law of current Chief Minister Biren Singh, Henry is the nephew of former Congress Chief Minister and CLP leader Okram Ibobi Singh.

According to reports, there has been a growing rift between Imo and Ibobi Singh with the latter perceiving the former as a threat within the party. Imo also happens to be a Congress MLA but a BJP chief minister’s son-in-law.

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On the other hand, Chief Minister Biren Singh is also facing a revolt from within his party with another chief minister aspirant Th Bishwajit Singh sitting in opposition against him. Last year, an attempt to remove Biren Singh was thwarted with the BJP central leadership coming out in his support.

Now, this week’s no-trust petition filed by the Congress against the government comes in the wake of an affidavit filed by police officer Th Brinda in the Manipur High Court in connection with the drug haul case. The case involves Lhukosei Zou, a former chairman of the Chandel Autonomous District Council (ADC), who had joined the BJP after the party came to power in the state.

In 2018, Brinda, now Additional Superintendent of Police, Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB), had recovered a consignment of drugs and old currency notes from the official quarter of Zou.

However, in her affidavit filed earlier this month, Brinda said that Chief Minister Biren Singh has pressurised her to release Zou and withdraw the chargesheet against him and others in the case. The Chief Minister has dismissed these allegations outright.

Ever since the drug haul, the Congress has been demanding that the case be handed over to the CBI. Now, with Brinda filing the affidavit, the party has decided to move ahead with the no-confidence motion.

It, however, remains to be seen whether the Assembly will take up the motion when it convenes August 10.

Article by Aroonim Bhuyan