IMPHAL, October 17: After one of the senior most Congress leaders and former minister in the ruling government joined Bharatiya Janata Party, two more Congress MLAS and former ministers in the Chief Minister Ibobi-led Manipur ministry joined the saffron party.
A formal reception function of the two political heavyweights was organized at BJP state office here on Monday which was attended by party’s national secretary Ram Madhav, NE in charge Ajay Jawal besides state president Kh Bhabananda-led party leaders including two BJP legislators Th Biswajit and Kh Joykishan.
The two political heavyweights who joined BJP are former Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Nongthombam Biren who was elected three times consecutively from the Heingang constituency and former Rural Development minister Francis Ngajokpa who was elected twice on a Congress ticket from Tadubi constituency since 2002 and held various ministerial portfolios.Former food and civil supplies Minister Yumkham Erabot who is one of longest serving MLAs from Wangkhei constituency had also left the Congress party on September 12 and joined the BJP while Biren quit Congress on October 6 and Francis on October 13.
“I joined BJP with a mission for the equal development of every section in the state besides bridging the existing gap between communities,” former Minister Biren said.
Former minister Francis who tendered his resignation on October 13 following ‘pressure from workers’ stated that he joined the saffron party to work for the welfare of his constituency and the state.
Recently, his political workers convened a meeting at Maram town — about 80km north of Imphal — during which it was resolved that they would continue to support the MLA only if he resigned from the Congress.
Earlier, former Congress MLA Dr Kh Loken of Sagolband constituency also joined the BJP. With the joining of more political heavy weights to BJP, Assam’s health minister and convenor of newly floated North East Democratic Alliance Hemanta Biswas Sharma said the BJP which is committed for development of the region will surely come to power in Manipur after 2017 polls.
