12 Manipur Congress legislators resign from party posts

Imphal, May 30: Twelve Congress legislators in Manipur have resigned from state party posts, triggering speculation about the possibility of their crossing over to the ruling BJP, but a senior legislator among them said today that they had no intention of joining any other party.

The resignation of the legislators from the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) came on Wednesday after the party lost both the Lok Sabha seats in the north-eastern state.

While the Inner Manipur seat was won by Rajkumar Ranjan Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Lorho S Pfoze of the Naga People's Front (NPF) got elected from the Outer Manipur constituency.

The BJP heads a coalition government in the state led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

The Congress had 29 legislators in the state after the 2017 Assembly polls, but eight of its legislators had defected to the BJP last year, taking the BJP's tally from 21 to 29 in the 60-member House.

At present, the BJP also has the support of one legislator each of the LJP and the AITC, besides that of an Independent member and four National People's Party (NPP) legislators.

In 2017, the BJP was able to form the government in the state with the support of the NPF, the NPP and others.

Kh Joykishan Singh, who submitted his resignation from the post of MPCC vice-president, said all the 12 legislators are in solidarity with the Congress. "Our resignation from the party posts is to enable us to work at the grassroots level in our Assembly constituencies to restore the confidence of the people in the Congress," he said.

Gaikhangam said the legislators would now focus on strengthening the party organisation in the state.

Asked whether the party would accept their resignation, the MPCC president said, "It is up to AICC president Rahul Gandhi to take the final decision."

Though the NPF decided to withdraw support to the BJP-led government in Manipur this month, its state president Awangbou Newmai had said on May 19 that it would be implemented after the Lok Sabha poll process was completed on May 23.

PTI