Ahead of the real test in 2017 Cong facing 'semi-final' test
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 2 2016 -

The real test will come in 2017.

That is when the Assembly election will be held in the early part of next year.

However ahead of the final test, the Congress is already facing the ‘semi-final’ test and if Chief Minister O Ibobi and the new president of the MPCC (I), TN Haokip, do not play their cards right there is the distinct possibility that the party may be knocked out well before the real test.

It is this which the BJP, with just two MLAs in the House of 60, must be watching with interest.

Election less than a year away and a non-Congress Government at Delhi and perhaps this is just the right recipe for the dissatisfied Congress MLAs to raise their voice of dissent.

And this is what has been happening here, ever since the dissident MLAs started camping at Delhi.

With the Congress MLAs and the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister really not opening up, Imphal based newspapers have been carrying their own stories, according to their own sources, adding to the all round confusion.

The reality is no one seems to know what exactly is happening or what may happen in the coming days.

The Sangai Express has already commented on this earlier and this is just to remind the leaders of the Congress that while they may stick to the story that what is happening is the internal affairs of the party the truth is what is happening within the Congress will definitely impact on governance.

So while the Congress deals with the current issue and the BJP watches keenly to pounce on any opportunity that may come around, it is the people who have been left confused.

In the process governance will suffer for no one can work efficiently in an atmosphere of uncertainty.

At the moment, the dissident Congress MLAs seem to have genuine reasons to feel peeved if their stand that the Chief Minister has reneged on the assurance given earlier that there will be a major reshuffle is anything to go by.

On the other hand one may question whether this is prudent given the fact that the BJP is breathing down the neck of the Congress here.

The bottomline however is the point that the voice of revolt has been raised over Ministerial berths and not on any other issue. This is what is unfortunate.

In the process, other important issues besieging the State have been sidelined, such as the admission of suspended Head Constable Th Herojit that he killed Ch Sanjit in cold blood on the instructions of a senior police officer on July 23, 2009.

Moreover it also stands that an elected member can do so much for the people, whether one is made a Minister or not.

This will make being an MLA all that more meaningful.