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Our Correspondent
Imphal, Sep. 3 (EMN): Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Manipur Pradesh president A Sharda Devi on Saturday welcomed five JD(U) MLAs of Manipur after they merged with the BJP.
Sharing photographs of welcoming the MLAs in a tweet on Saturday, Biren Singh wrote, “Along with State BJP President, Smt @AShardaDevi Ji, heartily welcomed the 5 JDU MLAs who got merged into BJP yesterday. This merger shows the love and trust entrusted by people in the leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji and Hon’ble BJP President Shri @JPNadda Ji.”
The welcome session was held at New Delhi on Saturday as Singh had left Manipur on Friday, according to people familiar with the development.
On Friday, five out six JD(U) MLAs in Manipur merged with the BJP. With the merger, BJP’s strength in the house of 60 members reached 37. Last month lone Janata Dal(United) MLA Techi Kaso had joined the ruling BJP in Arunachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the Manipur Legislative Assembly speaker accepted the merger of the five legislators of JD(U) to the legislature party of BJP in the Manipur Legislative Assembly under the Tenth Schedule of the constitution of India, according to a bulletin.
The five legislators who have merged with the BJP are Khumukcham Joykisan Singh, MLA of Thangmeiband constituency, Ngursanglur Sanate, MLA from Tipaimikh constituency, Md Achab Uddin, MLA of Jiribam constituency, Thangjam Arunkumar, MLA of Wankhei constituency, and LM Khaute, MLA of Churachandpur constituency.
Now Md Abdul Nasir, JD(U) MLA from Lilong constituency, has become the lone JD(U) MLA in the assembly.
Earlier, Ksh Biren Singh, president of JD(U) Manipur state unit had said the party had started its process to back out of the BJP-led coalition government in the Northeastern state.
He had also informed that they will be meeting the JD (U) national leaders during the upcoming national executive and national council meeting to be held in Patna from September 3 to the 4th.
Winning six seats in last assembly elections, the JD (U) which emerged as third largest party after BJP which won 32 seats and National People’s Party which won seven seats, decided to give support to the BJP to honour the mandate reposed on the party and fulfill the hopes and aspiration of the people of Manipur in March this year.