BJP to join hands with like-minded parties
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 10 2022: Chief minister N Biren has affirmed that the party will join hands with like-minded parties but not with the National People's Party (NPP), its ally in the outgoing government.

Biren also assured that the new BJP government in the state will press the Centre to repeal AFSPA from Manipur and solve the issue of unemployment, especially for the state's youth.

"The BJP government will go together will like minded party.

But I don't believe that the BJP will go with the NPP," he told some newspersons at the Imphal East DC office premises where he received the certificate of victory.

He also assured to double and speed up developmental projects in both the hills and the valley in the state.

Responding to a query regarding the top post, N Biren pointed out that the party made no announcement of the chief ministerial candidates for assembly elections held in five states, and the decision will be taken after consultation between national leaders.

As for him, he did his best as party's worker to work for the welfare of people and generate votes for the party for strengthening it, Biren maintained.

Refuting claims that some party MLAs are camping in Guwahati over the issue of leadership, N Biren stated that all the MLAs are present in the state as today is the day of declaration of results and there is no basis in such rumours.

Though the CM's statement was made as the re suits continued to trickle in amid the issue of post poll alliances the hottest topic of discussion, the saffron party cruising towards a comprehensive victory is likely to result in dropping the NPP in the formation of the new government.

Soon after collecting his winning certificate, the CM said the BJP would talk with 'like minded' parties, minus the Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party (NPP), for a post-poll alliance.

Biren's statement came in line with the ever-deteriorating relationship between the NPP and the BJP, which were allies until a few months ago.

From Meghalaya CM and NPP Chief Sangma saying that it was very challenging to work with the BJP to deputy CM Joykumar Singh criticising the leading coalition partner, it was clear that the NPP was trying hard to mark its path and it made its stance clear when it decided to fight on 40 seats, which finally came down to 38.In simple terms, the NPP made it clear that they were not going to play second fiddle to the BJP, and that they would take on the BJP head-on.

This was also a strong statement by Sangma, who remains an ally of the BJP at the centre and in Meghalaya, of their dissent against the state BJP unit.

Sangma had ruffled political feathers across the nation by bringing BJP and Congress MLAs together under the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance MDA), much to the chagrin of both the parties' state units.

Sangma knows that as Northeast India's national-level party, NPP cannot sit comfortably in a cocoon in Meghalaya; and Manipur was its first substantial foray outside their comfort zone.

That said, Manipur BJP, and in particular, N Biren, were unlikely to forget this criticism, especially when NPP played along as the ally for five years.

The BJP will also be buoyed by performance of its ally, the Janata Dal-United.

Should the BJP need allies, the JDU and the NPF (which was also an ally in the Biren Singh government) would only be happy to oblige.

In short, Biren Singh and Manipur BJP look like they will be spoilt for choice, and in such circumstances, the NPP is not worth considering.

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