Imphal, June 25: The resignation of MPCC (I) president Gaikhangam from the Council of Ministers and the resultant internal crisis in the Congress Legislature Party was a fall out of the extremely volatile law and order situation of the State and not because of contradictions with CLP leader O Ibobi, claimed one senior CLP leader.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister O Ibobi and MPCC president Gaikhangam who have been in Delhi for the last many days have discussed the existing crisis within the CLP with AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

It is most likely that the SPF Ministry may be expanded after the arrival of the two leaders at Imphal within a day or two.

The CLP leader noted that during the last five years or so of the SPF Government, the law and order situation in the State has deteriorated and the violence and various other crises erupting all over the State on a daily basis have literally decapitated the Government to take up any development programme fully.

The resignation of Gaikhangam from the Council of Ministers was in protest against huge accumulation of personal wealth in the face of the existing worsening law and order situation.

His resignation was not a ploy to change the Chief Minister or to get the post of Deputy Chief Minister, he disclosed.

Observing that the Public Distribution System has failed completely resulting in untold miseries to the poor people, the CLP member informed that it has become quite difficult to meet the Chief Minister and even harder to discuss the plight of people with him.

Even when telephone calls were made, the Chief Minister would receive calls only according to the callers.

The existing crisis within the CLP erupted because of the simmering discontentment among CLP members against such continued misrule, he conveyed.

Decrying the refusal of the CLP leader to give the post of Deputy Speaker to an Opposition member in line with Parliamentary norms, the CLP member observed that all development activities have been brought to standstill because of the inability of the CLP leader to expand the SPF Ministry for such a prolonged period.

However, it is reported that the AICC president Sonia Gandhi has succeeded in bringing an understanding between the CLP leader and the MPCC president recently.

As such, the Council of Ministers may be expanded, most probably within a day or two.

On the other hand, opposition MLAs have blamed the SPF Government for total failure in district administrations as well as for the inability to utilize development funds sanctioned by the Union Government.

Chief Minister O Ibobi's administration has been confined within the limits of Imphal Municipal area as far as maintenance of law and order is concerned, alleged the opposition MLAs.

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