From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: The political impasse in Manipur seemed to be inching towards a solution with the four NPP MLAs led by the party’s national president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma meeting the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, here on Wednesday and arriving at some sort of a settlement.
The MLAs accompanied by Sangma and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma did not meet the waiting media outside Shah’s residence and left Delhi in a special flight. “We have to fly back now,” they said looking at the sky.
But insiders revealed that the crisis is going to blow over soon and the NPP legislators will be back in the government with some understanding at the behest of all-powerful Shah. “BJP and NPP will work together in Manipur,” NEDA Convenor Himanta said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Gaurav Gogoi, AICC General Secretary who had also rushed to Manipur along with party leader Ajay Maken maintained that the Biren Singh-led government in Imphal will fall sooner rather than later. Addressing a press conference here Gogoi said that there are serious differences not only among the ruling alliance partners but also within the BJP.
The NPP MLAs were hell bent on removal of Biren Singh as f Chief Minister till the end. But keeping the interest of the party and the Northeastern region in mind they have veered around to some sort of settlement, which, however, is not known yet.
NPP is a partner of BJP-led NDA at the Centre and North East. BJP is an ally of NPP-led government in Meghalaya with A L Hek as cabinet minister.
The four NPP MLAs whose agreement with the Congress brought the BJP-led Manipur government to the brink of collapse, were taken from Imphal on Tuesday and brought here on Wednesday by Sangma and Sarma. On arrival at New Delhi they met Shah for about 15 minutes.
A deal with the Manipur unit of the NPP, which has blamed the rift on the BJP’s alleged high-handed ways, was already worked out, sources added. It will, however, need to be approved by the BJP’s central leadership for which they came all the way to Delhi during this COVID-19 pandemic.
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who handles the party’s North East affairs, asserted in Imphal that the state government will remain stable. “Take it from me. We will be stable till 2022 (when next Assembly election will be held),” Ram Madhav told reporters at Imphal Airport.
Biren Singh also sought to downplay the trouble that has besieged his ministry saying it’s a “family issue”, and exuded confidence that the political problem will be resolved soon. After the 2017 Assembly polls, the BJP had formed a coalition government with the help of the regional outfit NPP and others. (With PTI inputs)