Political crisis almost over, but no solution yet
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 28 2020:
The political crisis which erupted in the State all of a sudden on June 17 that led to opening of two rivals camps, one led by Congress and other led by BJP has now fizzled out but no concrete solution is in sight yet.
Even though the two rival camps have been closed, the 'architectural' changes promised by BJP leaders which not contradict or challenge the principles of NEDA and NDA are yet to be effected.
Although the four NPP MLAs have returned to the BJP-led coalition after severing ties with the coalition and openly declaring support to Congress party, they are yet to discharge their duties as Ministers.
While claiming that the recent political events were not something uncommon, Chief Minister N Biren went on record that he was not yet informed by the Centre about what should be done with the NPP legislators.
Nonetheless, sources informed that there is a broad understanding among NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, NPP president Conrad Sangma, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National president JP Nadda on allocating some key portfolios to the NPP Ministers including Home, Power, RD&PR etc in addition to the portfolios they held earlier.
Till date, neither the four NPP MLAs nor NPP leaders of the State have divulged the terms and conditions which they agreed with BJP Central leaders for their return to the BJP-led coalition.
With the Central leaders not communicating anything to the Chief Minister regarding the four NPP MLAs and their intended positions in the Government, N Biren has been caught in a dilemma.
Nonetheless, the Chief Minister has been planning to go to Delhi to get a clear picture of the political scenario.
On the other hand, some BJP MLAs openly protested against the return of the four NPP MLAs as their return has dashed their hope that at least two of them would be inducted into the Council of Ministers.
They were hoping for induction of at least two of them into the Council of Ministers following the Chief Minister's purported assurance that only two NPP MLAs would be given Ministerial berths even if they come back to the BJP-led coalition Government.
Earlier, BJP MLAs even carried out a signature campaign demanding replacement of all BJP Ministers.
Even though the Congress camp opened at Patsoi has been closed following the NPP MLAs' u-turn to re-join the BJP-led coalition, one Congress MLA, on condition of anonymity, maintained that the closure of the camp does not mean the plan to topple the BJP-led Government has been aborted.
The three BJP MLAs who quit their party and resigned from the membership of Manipur Legislative Assembly and the lone AITC MLA who was disqualified by the Speaker's Tribunal are the worst-hit victims of the recent political crisis, said another Congress MLA.
The Congress MLA maintained that one cannot say a solution has been found to the political crisis even though the four NPP MLAs had gone back to the BJP-led coalition.
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