Defected Congress MLAs restless; alliance political party sets strategy
Source: IT News

Imphal, December 07 2018: Fracture in the alliance government led by Chief Minister N.Biren Singh is slowly appearing in the political theatre of Manipur with defected congress MLAs started urging to fulfill promises assured to them at the time of joining the ruling party.

A highly placed source revealed to Imphal Times that 4 Congress MLAs along with a top legislature of the BJP yesterday called on the Chief Minister around 5 pm yesterday.

But details of the meeting could not be known, however, the source said the meeting was more about to fulfill the promised made to them at the time of joining the party.

Of the eight congress MLA who had joined the ruling BJP, 7 are still yet be recognized as BJP by the Manipur Legislative Assembly as they still continue to share bench with the opposition during assembly session and yet to submit "letter of support" to the ruling BJP to the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, a source from the state Legislative Assembly told this newspaper.

After Congress MLAs file disqualification petition of the 7 defected congress MLAs to the speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly recently, the defected congress MLAs are restless as they are more like a birds with broken wings whose fate is now in the hand of the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.

"Nothing is impossible in politics, these defected MLAs may falls as victim of power politics as fighting another election depends on the desires of the BJP which they had joined", a political analyst told this newspaper.

Yesterday's move by the defected congress MLAs is a headache to the present government as reshuffling is the only option left and that too by dropping some of the Ministers, the source said.

If so there are chances of partner political party dropping support to the government.

Just week back a central committee team of the NPF came to the state and discussed about issues on their position.

A source close to NPF said that as some major demand of the NPF still remain pending it is likely that they may too take decision to stay away from the government.

Meanwhile, there has been anger among the BJP MLAs who were not given any cabinet seat in the government.

The move by the defected congress MLAs is not going to be of any use to calm the anger of some of the BJP MLAs who wanted cabinet portfolio.

The emerging situation is being watched by the opposition congress party, but their silence and inaction showed that they are left with no choice but to keep continuing watching the show.

Meanwhile, it is up to the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative who holds the key to control everything.

"Anti defection law is a powerful instrument, but it lacks certain provisions to rule out delaying tactics", said a political analyst while talking to this newspaper.

He further added that the speaker still is the final authority to decide the fate of the defected MLAs who are becoming an issue to the government.

After all they still sit in the opposition bench.

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