Rival camps meet Ram Madhav, Biswajit turns down offer of Dy CM post
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 15 2019: BJP National General Secretary (North East in-charge) Ram Madhav held separate meetings with Chief Minister N Biren and the rival camp which has been demanding removal of N Biren while Th Biswajit reportedly turned down the offer of the post of Deputy Chief Minister to resolve the issue.

Well placed sources informed that the two rival camps, one led by Chief Minister N Biren and other comprising of a number of rebel MLAs and Ministers met Ram Madhav at Delhi separately, and gave their points of view on the State's political crisis.

N Biren and his supporters met Ram Madhav first this afternoon.

Half an hour later, Ram Madhav held another round of meeting with the Ministers and MLAs who have been openly revolting against the leadership of Biren.

Biren and his supporters presented a detailed report on the origins of the political turmoil seen within BJP Manipur Pradesh and major factors responsible for the overdraft.

Rival camps meet Ram Madhav, Biswajit turns down offer of Dy CM post

The Chief Minister's report also highlighted several charges against different Ministers.

The rebel MLAs too submitted a charge sheet against the Chief Minister to the BJP National Secretary (North East in-charge) .

It gave a detailed account of how N Biren runs the State Government, how he gives greater importance to defector Congress MLAs as compared to BJP MLAs, rising corruption level, deteriorating law and order situation, how N Biren issues instructions to department officials by bypassing Ministers concerned etc.

However, it could not be ascertained as of now how Ram Madhav responded to the two rival camps.

The rebel MLAs also held another meeting with BJP Organising Secretary (North East in-charge) Ajay Jamwal and highlighted their points of views and demands.

Even though it is not yet clear which camp is favoured by BJP Central leaders, it appears that a sharp line of division has been already drawn between the two camps and any reconciliation is unlikely without active intervention of the party's Central leaders, said the sources.

Even though resentment against Chief Minister has been growing for quite sometime, it came to public notice when Th Biswajit (BJP), Nemcha Kipgen (BJP), Y Joykumar (NPP), L Jayantakumar (NPP), Letpao Haokip (NPP) and L Dikho (NPF) stayed away from the Cabinet meeting held at Ukhrul district headquarters on June 4.Taking serious note of the growing conflict within the State Government, Ram Madhav and Ajay Jamwal came to Imphal on June 8 and held a closed door meeting with N Biren, Th Biswajit and BJP Manipur Pradesh president K Bhabananda.

This was followed by a one to one meeting with all BJP MLAs and MLAs of other parties which are supporting the coalition Government.

While expressing keen desire to resolve the internal crisis at the earliest, Ram Madhav and Ajay Jamwal reportedly offered the post of Deputy Chief Minister to Th Biswajit.

However, Biswajit made it clear that he did not see any solution except replacement of Chief Minister N Biren by another man.

He also offered to resign from his Ministerial post and work in the party's organisational level if the Central leaders are determined to retain Biren as Chief Minister.

After listening to what Biswajit said, Ram Madhav and Ajay Jamwal asked him not to take any hasty decision, and assured him that necessary actions would be initiated in consultation with the BJP high command in line with the MLAs' wish and aspiration.

Even as the BJP MLAs closely watched if the party high command's has initiated any step, RBI banned all kinds of financial transactions of the State Government on June 12 on the ground that the State Government has run into overdraft.

Subsequently, blaming Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar and Th Biswajit for the overdraft, they were stripped of the charges of Finance, Works and Power Departments.

But both Joykumar and Biswajit rejected the charges and contended that the Chief Minister should be held accountable for the overdraft.

Notably, all the Ministers and ruling MLAs are currently camping at Delhi with the exception of Agriculture Minister V Hangkhanlian and MAHUD Minister Th Shyamkumar.

Meanwhile, Speaker Y Khemchand returned to Imphal today after meeting some Central leaders at Delhi.