CM, Deputy CM returning from Delhi today ; Dissension unlikely to cool off without reshuffle
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 17 2016:
The voice of dissent raised by some Congress MLAs against the Government is unlikely to cool down until Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam is relieved from the post of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president and some under-performing Ministers are replaced by MLAs who have been elected twice but have not held any Ministerial posts under Chief Minister O Ibobi.
On the other hand, Chief Minister O Ibobi and Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam who are currently in Delhi on being summoned by AICC president Sonia Gandhi are set to return tomorrow.
One Congress MLA told The Sangai Express on condition of anonymity that many Congress MLAs took note of the assurance given by Chief Minister O Ibobi at the beginning of his current term that his Ministry would reshuffled after two years and a half.
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It is a common desire for Congress MLAs to replace some Ministers by MLAs who have been elected twice but have not held any Ministerial posts.
Most of them are of the opinion that the Ibobi-led Government should be re-elected for the fourth consecutive term for successfully tackling repeated challenges to the integrity of Manipur.
There is immense role of the MPCC president in ensuring re-election of the incumbent Government.
Congress party is one party whose president has many decisive roles.
MPCC president should be very sincere but incumbent president Gaikhangam's sincerity has been put under question after he reportedly appended his signature on the declaration in favour of Naga integration, said the MLA.
Gaikhangam's insincerity was again exposed when some police personnel were suspended after he had stated in the State Assembly that the police personnel neither harassed nor offended any volunteers of Naga Students' Federation (NSF) Gaikhangam maintained a stoic silence when Imphal valley was literally burning for months following the killing of S Robinhood in police action.
There should be no place for such insincerity within Congress party if the incumbent Government should be re-elected, asserted the MLA.
The defeat of Congress candidates at the hands of BJP candidates in the by-election to Thangmeiband AC and Thongju AC turned out to be quite disappointing to many Congress MLAs and they began suspecting whether the incumbent Government would be re-elected or not.
In the light of these events, the MPCC president should be replaced and the Ministry should be reshuffled, added the MLA.