CM chairs ruling MLAs' meet, leaves for Delhi; tribunal reserves judgment
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 08 2025: Ahead of the 7th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly set to begin from February 10, chief minister N Biren chaired a meeting for ruling MLAs at CM's secretariat on Saturday.

The meeting mainly dwelt on responsibilities of ruling MLAs in the upcoming assembly session and coordination to be maintained among treasury bench members during businesses of the session.

However, number of ruling MLAs who attended the meeting could not be known.

Sources informed that some ruling MLAs did not attend the meeting while few MLAs left without taking part in the discussion.

Another source informed that ruling MLAs who did not attended the meeting, held a separate meeting at another location discussing about political development in the state.

Chief minister N Biren Singh has left Imphal for New Delhi via a charter flight at about 7.30pm and it is speculated that there could be a big reason behind CM's sudden visit to New Delhi.

Meanwhile, After the Speaker's Tibunal reserved its judgment on petition seeking disqualification of five Janata Dal-United (JD-U) MLAs on Friday, it also has reserved its judgement in the disqualification petition filed against five National People's Party (NPP) MLAs and one (JD-U) MLA on Saturday.

The disqualification petition was filed before the Speaker s Tribunal by Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) vice-president Hareshwar Goswami against four NPP MLAs are Mayanglambam Rameshwar Singh (Kakching), Thongam Shanti Singh (Moirang), Irengbam Nalini Devi (Oinam), and Janghemlung Panmei (Tamenglong) .

Meanwhile, two other individuals had filed disqualification petitions against NPP MLA Kh Loken (Wangoi) and JD (U) MLA Md Abdul Nasir).

Speaker Thokchom Saty-abrata Singh, after listening to both sides, reserved the in all six cases.

Speaking to newspersons after the hearing, petitioners' counsel N Bupenda Meitei informed that the final hearing of the cases began at around 11.30am Saturday and continued till 2pm.After listening to the submissions of the counsels, the speaker reserved its judgement in all six cases, while ordering that if any party concerned wants to submit any related statements, they can do so till 1 pm Sunday.

MPCC vice-president Goswami had led the disqualification petitions before the Speaker's tribunal against the four NPP MLAs for attending a meeting of ruling BJP legislators convened by CM N Biren Singh, even as NPP national president Conrad K Sangma and his party officially snapped ties with the government in November last year.

NPP had withdrawn support to the BJP-led government in Manipur on November 17 last year, claiming that the CM Biren Singh-led Manipur government "completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy" in the violence-ravaged state.

NPP had seven MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly.

BJP has 37 MLAs' support and is also supported by five MLAs of the Naga People's Front (NPF) and three independents.

NPP MLA N Kayisii, also the party's Manipur Unit president, died on January 18 after a prolonged illness, leaving six party legislators in the House at present.

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