Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, July 14:
The Election Commission of India, ECI, has declared state MP and union minister for state for food processing, Thounaojam Chaoba, as president of the Manipur State Congress Party, MSCP and allotted the party�s reserved symbol to his group.
ECI, in its final order, dated July 11, 2001, on the dispute between the MSCP (C) and MSCP (N) said the Chaoba group has proved by documentary evidence that it enjoys the support of majority, both in the legislator wing of the party, and also in the representative organization bodies of the party, the state committee and central executive committee.
The ECI�s order was on the basis of fresh individual affidavit of support filed by the MLAs and organizational wing members of the Chaoba�s group last month as directed by the ECI.
A similar directive had been issued to the Nipamacha group, but the later failed to respond at all.
It may be mentioned that when the dispute first came before the ECI, the latter had also directed both groups to file written statements and individual affidavits from members of the organizational and legislative wings of the party.
The ECI, in its final order, noted that thirteen out of the original 23 MLAs, six members of the central executive and nine members of the state committee were reported to have left the party, thus diminishing its present strength.
As such, it noted that the fresh affidavits filed by the Chaoba group showed that it enjoyed the majority support of such wings in what is presently left in the party.
The EC order also noted that the fact that the Nipamacha group had not given any response to the commission�s directive �can only lead to the obvious reference that the group does not wish to lay any claim of majority support in the party�.