New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held two separate meetings with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and six sitting MLAs including four Manipur cabinet ministers in New Delhi since Wednesday to nip any possible threat of a government change in the strife-torn northeastern state.
Singh and four of his cabinet colleagues landed in the national capital on Wednesday night after they were summoned by Shah. “The home minister is also likely to have a group meeting today before the team from Manipur depart for their State,” a senior leader privy to the development told ETV Bharat.
The development of Singh and other ministers and MLAs visiting the national capital took place following the opposition’s strategy to move a no-confidence motion against the Biren Singh led BJP government in the State.
What has worried the BJP central leadership is the fact that in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, several BJP MLAs are protesting the functioning of Biren Singh.
Shah aims to discuss strategies to avoid any no-confidence on the floor of the house. The home minister also took stock of the present law and order situation of the State.
Interestingly, the four cabinet ministers who reached Delhi include Th. Biswajit was a contender for the CM post when BJP retained power for the second straight term in 2023. Several MLAs from Naga People’s Front (NPF), an ally of BJP, are also camping in the national capital.
The Opposition parties led by Congress are likely to move a no-confidence motion in the Assembly on February 10 against the Biren Singh government over its failure to handle the law and order situation of the State.
The ruling BJP has 37 MLAs in the House of 60 at present. However, their worry began when several MLAs skipped a meeting called by the Chief Minister on November 19 last year.
The NPP with six MLAs which was an ally of the BJP already withdrew support expressing their anger with Biren Singh. Interestingly, NPP chief and Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma has also demanded Biren’s replacement as a pre-condition for his party’s support.
The Congress-led resolution is also likely to be backed by the NPP and a few anti-Biren, BJP and JD(U) MLAs.
As many as 10 Kuki MLAs, including seven belonging to the BJP, have already expressed their displeasure over the failure of the Biren Singh government to bring peace to the state.
Earlier this week, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Okram Ibobi Singh urged Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to advise the Chief Minister to refrain from intimidating members of the state Assembly.
Ibobi Singh complained to Bhalla that Biren Singh threatened some MLAs not to join the no-confidence motion, during a function last month.
