: Many senior dissident Congress MLAs from Manipur are camping in Delhi to have the ‘final show-down’ with the high command on the reshuffle of the ministry headed by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
Some of them suggested that if their demand is not heeded they may be constrained to take drastic steps.
In the present political scenario, this indicates they would resign from the Congress and join the BJP to contest the 2017 Assembly elections.
They are not happy that the Chief Minister had backed out of his commitment to reshuffle the ministry. Mr. Ibobi has been giving excuses to delay the reshuffle. The party high command had sent observers on two occasions. However, it was not helpful since the observers merely told the dissident leaders that it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to reshuffle the ministry.
In the 60 member House, the Congress has 48 MLAs. The Manipur Chief Minister is allowed to have a council of 12 ministers. For the time being, senior national party leaders have no time for dissidents coming from Manipur — with the Delhi elections round the corner and political fallout of the resignation and charges levelled by the former Environment Minister Jayanati Natarajan.
