Quest for ministry reshuffle threatens coalition partners?
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 21 2019:
The camp opened by BJP MLAs at Hotel Classic Grande, Chingmeirong in pursuit of their demand for replacement of all the incumbent Ministers has been closed with the conclusion of the State Assembly's winter session but the particular demand is still very much alive.
The MLAs who were camping at Hotel Classic Grande maintained that there is no question of withdrawing their demand for replacement of all the incumbent Ministers by January 15 next year.
Expressing keen desire for the incumbent Government to complete its full term, the MLAs insisted that it is essential to replace all the Ministers so as to ensure that BJP wins absolute majority in the next State Assembly election and forms the next Government.
They said that their demand and rationale have been apprised to BJP Central leaders.
Meanwhile, it is reported that Chief Minister N Biren may leave Imphal for Delhi tomorrow to hold a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the BJP MLAs' demand for complete replacement of the Council of Ministers.
Meanwhile, some of the political parties which are partners of the coalition Government have categorically stated that the demand for replacement of all the Ministers lacks justification.
The BJP MLAs should not overlook the fact that the incumbent Government is not a BJP Government but a coalition Government, they asserted.
Notably, the Council of Ministers has five BJP MLAs including Chief Minister N Biren, NPP has four, LJP one, NPF one and one MLA elected on Congress ticket but swtiched allegiance to BJP soon after the results of the last State Assembly election were declared.
The demand for replacement of all the incumbent Ministers is nothing but a political manoeuvre to form a new Council of Ministers comprising of BJP MLAs exclusively, said the coalition partners.
The demand implies that all the coalition partners of the Government should be kicked out, they deduced.