Rumblings within State BJP get louder
Petition filed at HC to annul appointment orders
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 16 2014: Even as some members of the State BJP unit are lobbying with the Central leadership to remove Th Chaoba from the presidentship of the State unit, a petition has been filed at the Manipur High Court by some disgruntled members to annul the appointment orders issued by Chaoba to the State Election Committee as well as appointments of some office bearers.

On the other hand, Th Chaoba along with some of his loyalists left for Delhi yesterday to press the Central leadership to let him continue as the State unit president of the party till 2015 .

Following the departure of Th Chaoba for Delhi, 18 members of the State BJP left for Delhi today to lobby with the Central leadership for his removal from the post of president.

With BJP president Rajnath Singh joining the Union Council of Ministers as the Home Minister, a new person is likely to be named the president of the BJP soon.

The Manipur High Court and inset Th Chaoba

Given this scenario, the pro-Chaoba group and the anti-Chaoba group have intensified lobbying at Delhi.

Apart from lobbying with the Central leadership, the anti-Chaoba camp has also approached the Manipur High Court alleging that Th Chaoba has violated the party's rules and regulations in appointing members to the election committee as well as in appointing other office bearers and sought to annul the appointment orders.

The petition was filed by six members of the party as well as other well wishers before the High Court on June 9.It is however not known whether the petition has been admitted by the High Court or not.

Among others, the petitioners charged Th Chaoba of violating the constitution and rules and regulations of the BJP.

Coming to specifics, the petition said that under the constitution and rules and regulations of the BJP, at least 16 members should be appointed to the State election Committee of the party.

However in contravention of the laid down rules and regulations, Th Chaoba has only appointed eight members to the State election committee, including an ex-officio member.

Th Chaoba returned to the BJP fold only in 2013 and on assuming charge as the president of the State unit of the party, he appointed 11 office bearers who joined the party only in 2013, giving the short shrift to the others who had stuck by the party though thick and thin.

Moreover out of 11 office bearers, some of them joined the party only six and three months back.

The total number of office bearers at present is 20 .

The other charges include appointing members as active members though they have not yet completed three years as members of the party.

This is in violation of the party's rules and regulations, contended the anti-Chaoba lobby.

An 18 member team of the anti-Chaoba group left for Delhi today.