Imphal, November 06: Even as Chief Minister O Ibobi returned to Imphal from Delhi today after meeting Sonia Gandhi and AICC leaders in the backdrop of the dissension raised by a large number of Congress legislators, State Congress workers today served an ultimatum to the AICC that if the memorandum submitted earlier to grant them political benefits is not fulfilled by November 15 then they would be constrained to launch a series of agitation.

The decision to submit the ultimatum was taken during a meeting of the Congress workers held at Congress Bhawan today.

On the other hand, the Congress Working Committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the political situation in the State.

The latest development however did not seem to faze the Chief Minister and his supporters.

An MLA loyal to the Chief Minister who accompanied him back to Imphal from Delhi today informed The Sangai Express that AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were unanimous that they will not entertain any demand to remove Ibobi from the post of Chief Minister.

However the rebel MLAs have still not thrown in the towel and on the contrary have taken a more rigid stand to demand the ouster of Ibobi.

Hectic lobbying is also on to meet AICC leaders soon, said an MLA from Delhi.

A few hours after Chief Minister O Ibobi returned to Imphal today, Congress workers met at the Congress Bhawan and deliberated on a number of issues.

The main agenda for today's meeting was the sidelining of the MPCC (I) by the Government on crucial issues as well as the failure to define the relationship between the Government and the Congress party as an organisation.

A large number of active Congress workers including members of the MPCC (I), members of NSUI, Seva Dal, Congress Mahila and Youth Congress were present at the meeting.

After the meeting, a spokesman of the MPCC (I) informed The Sangai Express that the meeting was called since the MPCC (I) was left out in the cold on many issues which should ideally have been referred to them by the Congress Legislature Party.

It was obvious that the MPCC (I) was being ignored by some CLP leaders for their own personal agenda, said the spokesman.

The spokesman further said that many Congress workers expressed their dissatisfaction with the conduct of the Chief Minister vis-a-vis the MPCC (I) and elaborated that in contrary to an earlier understanding that the Congress party would be taken into confidence when it came to developmental projects, the Chief Minister had given them the cold shoulder.

Shortly after the last Assembly session, the Chief Minister had assured the Congress party that to maintain a good relation between the Government and the MPCC (I), political benefits would be given to the party.

However instead of fulfilling the promise, even junior Ministers had started ignoring the Congress party and the workers, charged the spokesman.

If the agreement to grant more political benefits to the Congress as a party is not translated into action by November 15, then Congressmen will be constrained to launch a series of agitation, asserted the spokesman.

The agitation will include sit-in-protest at Congress Bhawan and other form of agitation, said the spokesman and added that messages to this effect have been faxed to AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Secretary in charge of North East Prithiviraj Chauhan.

On the other hand, on arrival at Imphal today, Chief Minister O Ibobi convened a meeting with his loyalists to discuss the political situation.

A Minister loyal to the Chief Minister informed The Sangai Express that during the meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil at Delhi yesterday evening, the AICC leaders had made it clear that a change in the leadership of the CLP at this juncture is premature.

The AICC leaders also assured that they will not encourage any internal dissent, claimed the Minister.

Since the size of the Ministry cannot exceed 12, discontentment will always be there and a change in leadership will not be able to address this, maintained the Minister.

Out of the 12 Ministers in the Council of Ministers, 10 are still with the Chief Minister added the Minister.

Meanwhile the rebel MLAs who are still camping at Delhi are yet to be granted an audience by the AICC leaders, according to a late evening report.

A rebel MLA informed that they have still not met the AICC leaders, because of the hectic schedule in connection with the upcoming election in Gujarat.

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