IMPHAL, September 12: In a historic move, one of the senior most leaders in the ruling Congress ministry in Manipur resigns from the congress party on Monday and joined its main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of state assembly elections which is scheduled early next year.
Prominent Congress MLA Yumkham Erabot of Wangkhei constituency in Imphal East district submitted his resignation papers to the state assembly Speaker and Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (I) simultaneously in the morning.
Elected sixth times as MLA of which four times on Congress since 1980, Erabot, who had held various ministerial portfolios including Food and Civil Supplies, Education and Public Health Engineering Department, said that he took the decisions to resign from the primary membership of Congress “for victimising in all fronts in the last 15 years” after consulting the supporters in Wangkhei constituency.“Now I will take up future course of action with my supporters,” former minister added.
Later in a crowded reception function held at the BJP Manipur Pradesh office, BJP state unit President Kh Bhabananda accepted Irabot as a BJP member. Reacting to Irabot’s entry, Bhabananda accused the Congress as “personnel and relatives development society.”
“The public cannot expect anything from the ruling Congress as the party itself failed to give respect to the honesty and integrity of a person like Irabotji,” Bhabananda opined. “The Congress (party) would be disintegrated more than 10 times if there was no tenth schedule.”
Former president of BJP state unit and former Union sports minister Th Chaoba, BJP MLAs Kh Joykishan and Th Biswajeet besides other BJP party leaders along with a large number of BJP supporters attended the day’s reception function. However, former BJP state unit president and ex-speaker of assembly Dr. H Borabau, who had contested in assembly polls from Wangkhei constituency, was not seen in the day’s gathering.
The party wise position in the 60 member Manipur assembly following the resignation of four Naga People’s Front MLAs and Irabot’s exit from Congress –INC (47), are as Trinamool Congress (4), BJP (2), NCP (1), Lok Jan Shakti (1).
Meanwhile Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee has reportedly expelled Irabot for six years from the membership of the party.
Manipur celebrates Heikru Hidongba festival
The 238th edition of the traditional Heikru Hidongba festival was held in Imphal on Monday with pomp and gaiety. Thousands of Imphalites thronged the Bijoygobinda Moat at Sagoband in Imphal West district on Friday to witness a boat race organised as part of the festival which was held on the 11th day of the Manipuri calendar month ‘Langban’ to bring prosperity to the community.
Sagolband constituency MLA RK Imo and Keirao constituency MLA Thamarjit, Commissioner arts and culture K Radhakumar besides many social leaders also attended the day’s festival. Apart from performing religious rituals to predict the fortune of the State in the days to come and paying obeisance to the God for bountiful blessings in the year gone by, a boat race are the main highlights of the festival.
Ultras held: Manipur police have rounded up one active member of proscribed People’s Revolutionary Front(RPF) during a mobile checking and frisking at Ayangpali crossing on September 8 afternoon, according to a press release. The arrested person was identified as Akhoijam Korangou Meitei alias Angou alias Thouba alias Nasir (45) of Thoubal bazaar Awang Leikai.
Meanwhile, another team of imphal east district police arrested another RPF cadre Talem Preet Roy alias Tomnao alias Naoba (19) of Lairikyengbam Leikai near Salanthong during a mobile frisking at Sangakpham bazaar on September 10 afternoon, the release added.
