NEW DELHI/ SHILLONG: The Congress in Meghalaya has decided to wait and watch over the political rumblings in Manipur.
“We will wait and watch. In Manipur, the NPP left the BJP-led alliance. In Meghalaya, it will have ripple effect”, Congress spokesperson H M Shangpliang said.
The Congress in Meghalaya has 19 MLAs whereas the NPP-led MDA coalition has 41 members.
Earlier, the coalition partners, including the BJP had expressed displeasure over the functioning of the government over the coal mining issue.
Though Cabinet minister James Sangma lost the Home portfolio due to pressure from the coalition partners, the NPP was often the target of the Opposition Congress over lack of transparency and accountability.
However, BJP leader and Health Minister AL Hek said the situation in Manipur caused by withdrawal of support by the NPP — three ministers and one MLA — will not have any impact on the MDA coalition.
The state BJP held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the matter. “In Meghalaya we have the MDA government where BJP, NPP and other parties are in comfortable majority,” Hek said.
Manipur situation is different and three BJP MLAs have also resigned which will be taken care of the party in the state and at the Centre, he said.
The N Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur was reduced to minority on Wednesday when three sitting BJP MLAs resigned from the party and joined the opposition Congress and six other MLAs withdrew support, leaving it with just 18 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.
Besides four NPP MLAs, the lone Trinamool member and an independent MLA also withdrew their support to the BJP-led government.
Manipur’s Assembly elections in 2017 had yielded a hung verdict, with the Congress emerging as the single largest party with 28 MLAs in the House of 60. The BJP had 21 MLAs. The Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the NPP bagged four seats each. The Lok Janshakti Party, Trinamool Congress and an Independent candidate won one seat each.
The BJP managed to form the government with the support of all non-Congress MLAs.
Besides, Congress MLA Shyamkumar Singh defected to the saffron party.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and Cabinet Minister James Sangma had to rush to Manipur time and again to sort out the differences.
Conrad said he is aware of the development in Manipur but he has not been able to speak to all of them.
He refrained from giving any statement but said that it was unfortunate that the MLAs from the BJP have resigned but added that he will see how to move forward after speaking to the MLAs.
