Imphal, Dec 21: With the Manipur Assembly elections knocking at the door, political activities on Wednesday saw some major developments. Two MLAs, one each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party, joined the Indian National Congress (INC).
The two sitting MLAs are BJP MLA Kh Joykishan of Thangmeiband constituency and NCP MLA L Ibomcha of Keishamthing constituency.
A formal reception function was also organized at the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC-I) office in the heart of the state capital around 6 pm on Wednesday. MPCC-I President TN Haokip, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, two AICC leaders including CP Joshi and election committee chairman Chitathaniand and almost all the Congress legislators besides the party’s workers attended the reception.
With the joining of two more MLAs in the Congress, the strength of the party in the 60 member house is 49.The other remaining MLAs are Lok Jana Sakhti party MLA K Shyam of Langthabal constituency and BJP MLA Th Biswajit of Thongju constituency.
Earlier, Congress MLA Janghemlung Panmei of Tamenglong constituency, who was also the general secretary of the MPCC-I, tendered his resignation from the party as well as from the post of MLA recently.
With his and MLA Kikhonbou Newmai of Tamei constituency resigning, five Congress leaders and MLAs have left the ruling party. The other three are former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Yumkham Erabot, former Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Nongthombam Biren and former R&D Minister Francis Ngajokpa. Erabot left Congress on September 12 this year and joined BJP. Biren followed suit on October 6 while Ngajokpa resigned on October 13.
Caption: Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi sitting with MLA Kh Joykishan after resigning from the BJP during a reception at the Congress bhavan in Imphal on Wednesday evening.
