MPP suspends MLA Shyamkumar
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 30 2009: The Manipur People's Party (MPP) has suspended Andro Assembly constituency MLA Thounaojam Shyamkumar from the primary membership of the regional party on alleged charge of conniving with the Congress party and allowing mass rigging and proxy voting in favour of Congress candidate in the polling stations of his home Constituency during the recent 15th Lok Sabha election to the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency on April 22 .

MPP activists burn effigy of MLA Th Shyamkumar

Along with the suspension, effigy of the MLA was set aflame by the party workers in front of the MPP office here today.

In an order issued by the party president Dr L Chandramani yesterday, it was stated that MLA Th Shyamkumar has been suspended from the primary membership of the party for his anti-party activities.

A copy of the suspension order has been forwarded to the Chief Election Commission along with exerting pressure for ordering repoll in 11 polling stations of Andro Assembly Constituency.

The copy of the order suspending Shyamkumar from the primary membership of MPP has also been submitted to the Secretary of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.

While being lodged in Tihar Jail, New Delhi in connection with a case, Shyamkumar had contested election to the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly from Andro AC on MPP ticket and he won the election by getting a total number of 18,388 votes.

After becoming the MLA, he was appointed to the post of Deputy Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly.

MPP had played a major role in ensuring his appointment to the post of Deputy Speaker.

After his application to the Delhi High Court filed on February 17 this year requesting grant of regular bail was rejected, Shyamkumar resigned from the post of Deputy Speaker on April 18 and surrendered in the court.

He is currently behind the bar.

Announcing suspension of Shyamkumar from the primary membership of MPP during a press conference at the party office here today, Dr Chandramani said as all the prima facie evidences gathered so far from investigation into the matter pointed to the involvement of Shyamkumar in conniving with the ruling Congress party to allow mass rigging and proxy voting in his own Assembly Constituency, MPP has decided to suspend him from the primary membership of the party for his anti-party conduct.

Dr Chandramani further informed that although Shyamkumar has been suspended from the primary membership, a show cause notice would be served to him from the side of the party giving sufficient time to defend himself.

In case he fails to defend himself, Disciplinary Action Committee of the party would initiated necessary action against him.

Decrying the conduct of Shyamkumar, Dr Chandramani recalled that when all the political parties turned their back and refused ticket to Shyamkumar for contesting the election while being lodged in Tihar Jail, MPP had taken all the responsible to allow him to contest and win the election.

Then at a reception function hosted in his honour when he came out from the jail, Shyamkumar, overwhelmed by what the MPP had done for him had assured with tears in his eyes that he would always remain indebted to MPP and would never leave the party.

Inspite of all these, Dr Chandramani lamented that Shyamkumar had not consulted any of the party leaders in connection with his resignation from the post of the Deputy Speaker nor communicated to the party at the time of surrendering to the court and going to jail.

Legislature Wing leader of MPP MLA O Joy, who was also present during the press conference, denounced Shyamkumar as a turncoat and said the conduct of Shyamkumar, who had been involved in various criminal cases in supping with the Congress party for his own selfish interests with least consideration of MPP, which had stood for him is despicable.

Continuing the tirade, Joy said criminal minded self styled leader like Shyamkumar is a germ in the society, adding that he was satisfied and felt at ease at the time of recommending Shyamkumar for suspension from the primary membership of the party.

Joy observed that it does not matter when MDA candidate wins election or not.

But MPP would continue to lodge election peti tion and ensure booking of the presiding officer.

Repoll in 11 polling stations of Andro should be ordered, Joy reiterated the demand of the party.

MDA candidate Thounaojam Chaoba categorically stated he is now ashamed of calling himself to belong to the same clan of Shyamkumar, that is Thounaojam.

He also asserted that repoll has been demanded as there was serious lapses in the security deployment.

Ongoing agitation demanding repoll would continue, he added.

After the press conference, party workers burnt the effigy of Shyamkumar in front of MPP office amidst sound of striking cymbals and Pung signifying funeral rites.