Deserting the 'sinking ship' : Lure of power politics
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 30, 2021 -

It is unsavoury but is a reflection of the politics of power at play here. Obvious that to many, politics is all about power and the pelf that comes along with being in power.

This is what may be seen in the loud whispers doing the round that a good number of sitting Congress MLAs are likely to give in their papers and jump ship.

Obviously not the first time and old timers in the profession of journalism will certainly remember those days when the Congress was reduced to a one man party in the Assembly with only the late Rishang Keishing sitting on the Opposition bench and his powerful speech in the Assembly on how the game for power has reduced the calling of politics to a tragi-comedy.

Such a situation is yet to come for the Congress is yet to be reduced to a one man show in the Assembly, but already rumblings can be heard and the sound of rumblings would not have come without someone scripting the tune of the rumble.

Look at the political developments in the last few days. First Govindas Konthoujam resigned as the president of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee.

And as expected it did not take long for him to resign from the primary membership of the Congress party and from the Assembly itself.

To give credit to the man who has "become synonymous with Bishnupur Assembly Constituency, at least he has demonstrated that he respects the mandate of the people and the 10th Schedule of the Constitution by first resigning from the Assembly and the Congress.

Now this is not something which many others before him had done, preferring to sup with the BJP while still remaining with the Congress on paper !!

What has added that extra dose of spice to the resignation of Govindas Konthoujam is the talk doing the round that many other Congress MLAs are also set to follow him.

The question is, can the resignation of Govindas from the Congress open the floodgates with many others following suit ?

Only time will tell but already the political development has piqued the interest of many keen political watchers in the State.

Making it all that more interesting is the fact that Assembly election is scheduled in the early part of next year which is just about 7/8 months away.

Better to sup with the party which is more likely to grab power after the Assembly elections is obviously the line of reasoning amongst many of the honourably elected members of the House.

Forget about political ethics, the fine line that divides what is morally right from the wrong is reduced to what power is all about and politics without power is something of an anathema to them.

The coming days will be politically very interesting and while the Congress may be riven by desertion, to the BJP it may mean different takes on who many be admitted and who should not be.

This is where one can see power equation amongst some prominent figures within the BJP playing out subtly but visible to the keen watchers.

This is what will add more interest and drama to the unfolding political developments within the two political parties in the State.