Imphal, June 23 – Four legislators of the National People’s Party (NPP), who had withdrawn support to the BJP-led government in Manipur last week, were on Tuesday flown to Guwahati on a chartered flight, even as the CBI summoned Congress Legislature Party leader Okram Ibobi Singh for questioning in an alleged Rs 332 crore misappropriation case.
The four NPP legislators — Y Joykumar, L Jayantakumar, Letpao Haokip and N Kayisii — are expected to be flown to New Delhi for a meeting with the BJP’s central leadership, including Home Minister Amit Shah to convince them to return to the government.
Assam Finance Minister, who is also the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma flew again to Imphal for the second time in 48 hours and held talks with the NPP legislators and three BJP legislators who quit the Assembly in a bid to break the political deadlock.
On Sunday, Sarma accompanied NPP national president Conrad K. Sangma, who is also the Meghalaya Chief Minister to Imphal to break the political deadlock.
However, Sangma’s meeting with his four party legislators remained inconclusive as his four party legislators remained firm to oust the Nongthombam Biren government and install the Congress-led Secular Progressive Front (SPF) government.
Former Health and Family Welfare Minister, L Jayantakumar on Monday had even revealed to reporters that Sangma has “extended support to the decision of the NPP to pull out of the BJP-led government in Manipur if the decision was aimed at strengthening the party.”
“The NPP withdrew support from the BJP-led coalition and joined forces with SPF along with other like-minded parties to bring a change for the betterment of people and the state,” Jayantakumar said.
A senior BJP leader who wished not to be quoted, said, “The only option left for the BJP to salvage the political conundrum is to change the leader since the NPP had openly voiced their unhappiness against Chief Minister Biren Singh over his ‘autocratic’ style of functioning.”
In fact, Sarma, the BJP’s key troubleshooter in the northeast, told reporters in Imphal international airport, “We will be able to resolve the crisis. They have some issues which I cannot resolve at my level. For the next round of discussion we are going to New Delhi, which will also be attended by our senior colleagues.â€
The BJP-led government was reduced to a minority after nine legislators — the four of NPP, the three of the BJP, one of the Trinamool Congress and an Independent — withdrew support and went to the Opposition Congress, which had subsequently staked claim to form an alternative SPF government.
Meanwhile, the CBI has summoned former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to appear before a CBI court on Wednesday.