"They (MPP) are talking of lifting the AFSPA if they come to power, my Government has already lifted it from the seven Assembly Constituencies in Imphal Municipal Area and AFSPA will be lifted from the whole of Manipur if law and order situation improves"
— CM Ibobi in an Election campaign in Jan last,

Readers are at liberty to take 'O' before Ibobi as his surname (Yumnak) Okram or as a pun of the numerical figure Zero. But today Ibobi has become a hero in a real sense in the political history of Manipur at the beginning of this 21st century.

In a post-poll development, keeping the political pundits in topsy-turvy, the Congress has bagged 30 seats unprecedented - in the past many year. In the absence of horse trading - absence of infighting for Chief Ministership within the Congress fold, the SPF Government headed by Okram Ibobi Singh takes charge for the consecutive second term on the 2nd March last and inducted six Cabinet Ministers on the 9th with one Minister from CPI.

Though short by one seat for majority, the Congress has the power to form a Government of its own by the unconditional support of some political parties and some independent MLAs but Ibobi has obliged the trust of friendship from the CPI by offering a Cabinet Minister to the CPI, remembering the role of CPI in the formation of SPF way back in 2002 while NDA was in power at the Centre.

Who is Ibobi: The 59 year old Okram Ibobi Singh is the 25th and 26th Chief Minister of Manipur since it attained statehood in 1972. Born in Athokpam village in Thoubal district, he plunged into active politics after his graduation. He was first elected to the State Assembly in 1984 from Khangabok A/C as an independent and became the chairman of the State Khadi and Village Industries Board.

He later joined the Congress in the late 1980s and was elected again on Congress ticket in 1990. He was made the Urban Development and Industries Minister. After his defeat in the 1995 Assembly elections Ibobi was appointed as vice President of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee in 1996 and Congress President in 1999.

He contested the Assembly election in 2000 and he lost again. But this loss is a blessing in disguise for Ibobi and this loss became a spring board for his meteoric rise in politics. In the early 2001, all the 59 elected MLAs rushed to the ruling party fold of BJP-Samata Party alliance under the leadership of RB Koijam. Rishang Keishing was the lone Congress MLA sitting in the opposition.

When almost all the party workers, politicians had left Congress party, Ibobi was the man who looked after the deserted Congress Bhavan at BT road as a watch dog. Luck began to smile on him in 2002 (to bring back readers' memory this column and this writer is the first one who used the word 'Lucky' for CM Ibobi).

The Assembly election of 2002 brought Ibobi victorious with 19 other Congress MLAs while Rishang Keishing lost the election for the first time. Ibobi, the Congress President was the automatic choice for the leader of Congress Legislature Party. With the help of CPI mainly from the good work of its veteran leader Ph Parijat who emerged victorious from Lamlai A/C a tight coalition of SPF came into being in 2002 and it still continues.

In the recently concluded Assembly elections, Ibobi won from two Assembly Constituencies from Khangabok and Thoubal with a huge margin from his nearest rivals. The Congress under his leadership has got 30 seats. His winning from two seats is a record in the political history of Mani-pur as yet.

None of those who had indulged in election calculation had forecast that the Congress would get as many seats as 30. The pre-election atmosphere both in the valley and hills made it impossible to make any forecast that is favourable to Congress.

The tirades of the MPP in the valley over AFSPA and Integrity issue and again the spoil sport of the UNC for the Congress candidates in the hills had caused much concern to the Congress camp and in fact, many Congress politician had thought of atleast getting the single largest party in elected number of MLAs in the 9th Assembly.

Only then they can stake claim for leading a coalition Government. But to the surprise of many, Congress has got 30 seats. This credit of the good showing must be for O Ibobi only.

One of Ibobi's greatest appeal is his style of delivering speeches or his oratory skill. His style is that of an accomplished stage actor. He is said to have taken some roles in one or two stage plays before he entered politics. His speeches is punctuated with voice high pitched one moment, down to an emotional tone the next as if, he is sharing a cord with the crowd.

One of his security personnel who was always present at his election meetings throughout the state told me that Ibobi's hand seemed to have possessed a magic wand. Wherever he went for a meeting in any constituency, he raised his hands before the crowd and that brings success to the Congress candidate.

Ibobi, is the sober experienced and re-assuring Congress face in Manipur now. He has already demonstrated that he could retain power for five years against all odds.

And nobody is willing to write Ibobi off in a hurry in the coming five year.