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Manipur : MSCP merger with BJP |
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The former president of the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) and Lok Sabha Member, Thounaojam Chaoba Singh, has justified the merger of the party with the BJP as forced by insurgency.
“The decision to dissolve the MSCP and merge it with the BJP was necessitated by the intimidating circumstances created by insurgency in Manipur. This decision was taken by the central executive committee of the party and ratified by the MSCP,” he told the Election Commission in a letter on August 23.
A case is pending in the Election Commission over the merger of the party with the BJP.
The Election Commission has fixed the final hearing on the case on September 9.
The MSCP, led by then president Chaoba Singh, merged with the BJP in November last year. A faction of the MSCP, headed by its present president Moirangthem Hemanta Singh, had challenged the merger.
A separate case is also pending in the Gauhati High Court. MSCP spokesman Kh. Devabarata took a potshot at Choaba Singh’s claim that “intimidating circumstances” necessitated the merger. He said that the former president’s statement had made it clear that the BJP masterminded the merger in an effort to decimate regional parties.
“However, we don’t believe that the situation mentioned by Chaoba in his letter to the Election Commission was created by the BJP nor by any militant group. Therefore, the BJP owes an explanation to the people of Manipur. It would be wrong on the part of Chaoba to succumb to pressure from any militant organisation, if there is any. Such a move goes against democratic norms,” the spokesman said.
A three-judge panel, headed by Lata Krishnamurthi from the chamber of eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalini, has been representing the Hemanta group. Expressing confidence that the Election Commission ruling would eventually be in favour of his group, Hemanta said the fight was against the notorious act of “devouring smaller parties by national parties”.
The MSCP, which had seven MLAs, was now left with just two members after five legislators defected to the Congress soon after the Assembly elections.
The duo has been maintaining neutrality by neither supporting the ruling Secular Progressive Front (SPF) government or the Opposition Democratic Peoples Alliance.
The two were recognised by the Speaker as unattached members because Chaoba Singh has expelled them before his team joined the BJP.
The two legislators were ministers in the SPF government. Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh dropped them following their expulsion from the MSCP. Though the expulsion order against the duo was revoked after Hemanta became president of the MSCP faction, the Speaker has yet to repeal his ruling.
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