Merger of four regional parties on the anvil

Imphal, March 20 (UNI) With an eye on the next Assembly elections, four regional parties of the state may merge to take on the ruling Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

The Manipur People's Party (MPP), Federal Party of Manipur (FPM), Democratic Revolutionary People's Party (DRPP) and Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) leaders have held a series of meetings to effect a merger.

FPM members said its president, Dr I Chandramani, was authorised to hold talks with other parties.

Office bearers of the four parties have informed that they had decided to unite in 'principle' but the modalities had not been worked out yet.

The parties felt that they could not be a force to reckon with if they were not united in a state which has just 60 MLAs and sent just two members to the Lower house and one member to the Upper house of Parliament.

The MPP and DRPP had decided to unite officially, the members said. ''It will take some time to announce a merger as there were too many things to be discussed like leadership, flag and name,'' they added.

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