Let Centre decide on leadership quip : Pregnant with meaning
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: June 20 2019 -

Let Centre decide on leadership.

Does this mean that the leadership question is still out there in the open, when in fact the BJP led Government has completed two years in office under N Biren Singh as the Chief Minister ?

This very poser should say it all and put aside all the niceties of asserting that there is no question of dissent within the BJP in the Council of Ministers.

N Biren Singh continues as the Chief Minister of the State and therefore where the does the question of letting the Centre decide on leadership arises ?

All indications that matters are yet to be settled, after days of political speculations, the stripping of portfolios from two prominent personalities in the Council of Ministers, giving the most significant push so much so that the political scenario morphed from murmurings of discontentment to an open confrontation, shifting the battle of push and pull from Imphal to New Delhi.

The last few days have certainly been eventful and interesting to the keen political observers and yes to the media and interestingly there is nothing to suggest that it will be back to ‘dull, routine days,’ anytime soon.

What is however disturbing to note is that there does not seem to be much effort at tackling the overdraft, which has led RBI to put a ban on all Government transactions, bringing back nightmares of 1999 when overdraft and salaries of Government employees made front page news.

The uncomfortable feeling that the 1999 days may just return to haunt the collective psyche of the people is not something that can be wished away that easily and this is ideally the time for the Council of Ministers to be sitting down together, taking inputs from officials and studying ways and means to overcome the overdraft.

It is still not very clear how New Delhi has responded to the political situation here, for remember Parliament session is underway and there are important Bills that may be introduced for discussion and debated on the floor of the Parliament but the political uncertainty needs to be put to rest.

Busy the Central leaders are, and this is where the uncomfortable feeling that the fluid political situation may continue longer lingers.

Now that the two key players in the political stand off, Chief Minister N Biren and IPR Minister Th Biswajit are back home, it is hoped that the two manage to work together in the face of the dire financial situation the State finds itself in at the moment.

This is not the time for one upmanship but to study how to tackle the financial mess.

Manipur also cannot afford to be politically volatile at this moment for remember there are important Bills in Parliament that may be discussed and passed which can directly impact on the State.

Also remember a final pact with the NSCN (IM) may be signed anytime soon and political leaders cannot afford to be caught fighting amongst themselves when such an issue comes up.

All these may however be just wishful thinking for remember the words, ‘Let Centre decide on leadership’ is pregnant with meaning and sums up the acute difference within the Council of Ministers in the BJP led Government.