Imphal, February 26: With election results in all but a few hill Assembly constituencies declared, the Indian National Congress, INC, has stolen a march over the BJP in the race to form a new government, having managed to cobble together an alliance that has almost reached the requisite majority in the 60 seat Assembly.

On the other hand, a dispute has developed within the party over the election of a new CLP leader.

The new alliance, dubbed the Secular Progressive Front, comprises the Nationalist Congress Party, the Manipur State Congress Party and the Communist Party of India, apart from the Congress.

Agreement on formation of the alliance was reached at a meeting of the leaders of these parties late in the day at the residence of former CM Rishang Keishing.

As of this evening, the Congress has secured a total of 16 seats, while the MSCP has secured six seats, the CPI five and the NCP three, making for a total of 30 seats.

The INC is expected to win at least one more seat, which would give the alliance the bare majority required to stake its claim.

MSCP president Th Chaoba, and ex-MLA H Lokhon, the CPI's Ph Parijat and MI Singh, the NCP's president S Tiken Singh, and state Congress president O Ibobi, apart from Rishang Keishing, attended the meeting.

The leaders reached the agreement on five main points - to form the Secular Progressive Front, to form a Congress led coalition government, not to allow or entertain defections, that the constituent political parties will jointly decide on the entrance of other parties in the front, and that all constituents would jointly share power.

On the other hand, reliable sources said, a dispute is brewing in the party over the election of a new CLP leader.

Both state party president O Ibobi Singh, and veteran politician Th Debendra, have reportedly staked claim to the post.

A meeting was held at the residence of Rishang Keishing this evening in the presence of the visiting central party emissaries, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Pranab Mukherjee and Imran Kidwai, to thrash out the matter, but no resolution was arrived at, according to reports.

The central party observers are reportedly leaving Imphal tomorrow with a report for the party high command in this regard.

In the meantime, some of the elected MLAs of the MSCP and the NCP have expressed disquiet over their respective party leaders signing the agreement to form the new front without consulting them.

It is also learnt that the newly elected MLAs from the Naga community who signed the Senapati declaration are unwilling to associate with the Congress.

Earlier, senior Congress leader Th Debendra said that the Congress was confident of forming a stable government.

He added that protection of territorial integrity and emotional integration, and abolition of corruption from the grassroots level would be given the top priority.