All Ministers including CM now camping at New Delhi ; Conflicts erupt among coalition partners
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 14 2019: Following the relieving of Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar from the charge of Finance Department and Th Biswajit from the charges of Works and Power Departments, bitter conflicts have erupted among political parties which are partners of the BJP-led coalition Government.

In the meantime, the battle for replacing Chief Minister N Biren is growing more and more intense.

All the Cabinet Ministers of the State including Chief Minister N Biren are now camping at Delhi with the exception of two or three.

All Ministers including CM now camping at New Delhi

Chief Minister N Biren today met Union YAS Minister Kiren Rijiju and Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel at New Delhi.

The Chief Minister is also scheduled to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman and the overdraft of the State will be discussed, said a source.

Altogether 12 Ministers and MLAs and the two Lok Sabha MPs elected from the State left Imphal for Delhi today.

Chief Minister N Biren, Speaker Y Khemchand and CAF&PD Minister Karam Shyam have reached Delhi already.

Ministers and MLAs are now huddled together in separate camps which they support and they have been waiting for the first available opportunity to highlight their views and wishes to Central leaders, sources informed.

Ministers/MLAs who left Imphal for Delhi today included Th Biswajit (BJP), Nemcha Kipgen (BJP), Th Radheshyam (BJP), Y Joykumar (NPP), L Jayantakumar (NPP), Letpao Haokip (NPP), N Kayisii (NPP), Losii Dikho (NPF) and TT Haokip (BJP).

After 17 ruling MLAs including four Cabinet Ministers submitted a memorandum to BJP Central leaders to replace Chief Minister N Biren, Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar was stripped of the Finance portfolio and Th Biswajit was stripped of the Works and Power portfolios apparently with an intention to take the rebellion against the Chief Minister to a different path but the same move has sparked off bitter conflicts among the coalition partners, the sources said.

The NPP Ministers will hold a meeting with party president Conrad Sangma at Delhi and deliberate on the State's financial situation as well as N Biren's move of relieving Joykumar from the charge of Finance Department.

The NPP Ministers and the party president would also take a decision on the political situation unfolding in the State before talking with BJP Central leaders on the political crisis besieging Manipur.

NPF too has been monitoring the latest political developments in the State.

On the other hand, Opposition Congress MLAs held a meeting yesterday and deliberated on the internal crisis which is pulling the BJP-led coalition apart, the sources added.