Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday succeeded in steadying his boat for some time after leaders of the Naga People’s Front were assured of fulfilment of their demands in the presence of the BJP’s national secretary in-charge of the Northeast, Ram Madhav.
The NPF, which has four MLAs in Manipur, has been a major partner of the Biren Singh government formed on March 15, 2017.
Last week, the NPF had held a meeting at its headquarters in Kohima and after that the party’s national president T.R. Zeliang said, “We have agreed in principle to part ways with the BJP in Manipur.”
Manipur NPF unit president Awangbou Newmai, who is also an MLA, had said, “Our party is no longer a partner in Nagaland anyway. But the Manipur final decision would be taken by our president once the election process is over.”
Ministerial berth
The NPF, said sources, is not happy with just one of its MLAs getting a ministerial post in Manipur.
The National People’s Party, which too has four MLAs in the State, was given four Cabinet posts. In fact, one of its MLAs was made the Deputy Chief Minister.
Mr. Newmai said, “It is discriminatory since the agreement at the time of the formation of the coalition Ministry was that two of our MLAs would be made Ministers while the remaining two would be accommodated with the rank and status of Ministers.”
12 Ministers
Now that Mr. Biren Singh has given his word to the dissenting NPF leaders, the party may not pull out of the government.
In the 60-member Manipur House, the Chief Minister is allowed to have 12 members in the Council of Ministers.
