CM defers return Debendra opens three way race to Dy CM post
Not yet official, but some big fishes likely to miss Ministry bus
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 15 2012: It is not yet official, but information received from some well placed sources in Delhi indicate that the list of the Council of Ministers as well as to whom the post of Deputy Chief Minister should go have been worked out during a meeting between Chief Minister O Ibobi and AICC president Sonia Gandhi today morning.

Sources from Delhi indicated that some big fishes, who occupied important portfolios in the last Government, may be omitted from the Council of Ministers this time.

It is however not yet clear who would be among those omitted and who would be among the new faces to be included in the new Council of Ministers.

Significantly Chief Minister O Ibobi had recently announced that a berth would be reserved for women and the Congress has two women MLAs, O Landhoni and first timer AK Mirabai.

The question of the post of Deputy Chief Minister also cropped up during the meeting between O Ibobi and Sonia Gandhi as well as Gaikhangam who was also present at the meeting, said sources and added that though a general consensus has been arrived at, no official statement has been issued as yet.

Three way race : Gaikhangam, Phungzathang Tonsing and Th Debendra

Apart from Gaikhangam and Phungzathang Tonsing, senior Congress leader, Th Debendra is also in the race, said another source from the Congress party.

Sources said that to give the official stamp to the list of Council of Ministers as well as Deputy Chief Minister, another meeting has been scheduled with the AICC chief.

However till late in the evening, the meeting was yet to be held today.

Chief Minister O Ibobi left for Delhi yesterday to meet the AICC president and other Central leaders after it emerged that two senior Congress leaders, Gaikhangam and Phungzathang Tonsing had pitched in for the post of Deputy Chief Minister.

Significantly the two contenders for the post of Deputy Chief Minister also left for Delhi yesterday evening along with O Ibobi.

Newly elected Congress MLA from Khurai AC, Dr Ng Bijoy who represented the MPP in the last Assembly was also on the same flight to Delhi.

Though Ibobi met the AICC president today morning, before the start of the Parliament session, it is not clear whether Phungzathang Tonsing was present at the meeting or not.

Following the fresh development over the decision of Union Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi of the Trinamool Congress to quit after he decided to raise the rail fare, the attention of UPA Government and the AICC is presently focused on this development, necessitating the Chief Minister to wait for another round of meeting with Sonia Gandhi to give an official stamp on the list of the Council of Ministers and the post of the Deputy Chief Minister.

The Trinamool Congress is an important ally of the UPA at Delhi.

Sources from Delhi said that though two lists for the Council of Ministers have been drawn up, there has not been much of a problem in drawing up a common consensus list.

The issue however is over the question of who should be given the post of the Deputy Chief Minister as there are now three in the race.

Following the three way race to the post of the Deputy Chief Minister, a number of young Congress legislators, including the Chief Minister himself are understood to have expressed their reservation against appointing anyone to this post, said sources from within the Congress party.

Chief Minister O Ibobi, who was scheduled to return today, with the officially approved list of the Council of Ministers has had to defer his return.

If a meeting materialises today evening, then he will return tomorrow, said sources from Delhi, but if a meeting today evening cannot be held then he is most likely to return on Saturday.