Prashanta Barua
New Delhi
Four BJP MLAs in Manipur have resigned from the posts they were assigned amid the speculation of a growing dissidence against N Biren Singh, whom they want to be replaced. Singh, who has been enjoying his second consecutive term, however, has straightly denied any threat in store.
T Radheshyam was the first to have resigned as Chief Minister’s adviser saying that he had given no responsibility. Sources have confirmed that the MLA from Heirok, along with a couple of his counterparts have been camping in New Delhi to meet the party central leadership to vent ire against N Biren Singh.
This was what Karam Shyam did, when the MLA from Langthabal resigned as chairman of the Manipur State Tourism Corporation alleging that he was, in fact, not given any responsibility to run the state-owned corporation. His target has been also N Biren Singh,whom he opposed since he was installed as Chief Minister for the second consecutive term.
Same was the case of Kh Raghumoni Singh, who has been camping in New Delhi after resigning as chairman of the State Renewable Development Agency on personal grounds.
Another MLA is P Brojen, who resigned as chairman to the Manipur Development Council adding more woes to the BJP Government within a period of 10 days.
Sensing a simmering dissidence against him, the Chief Minister convened a meeting of the party legislators to be skipped by 7 MLAs in Imphal on April 17.”Yes, these MLAs are conspicuous by their absence from the meeting,” said a senior party leader, who refused to be named.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh tried to downplay the absence of 7 MLA from the crucial meeting saying that they were out of station and their absence did not suggest any dissidence against him. He, in fact, denied any threat to his Government.
According to party insiders, as many as 17 party legislators have been trying to meet the central leadership demanding change of the Chief Minister early. “More and more MLAs are joining us in New Delhi. We want the incumbent CM to be replaced to end his autocratic style of functioning. He only knows his MLA son in law Rajkumar Imo Singh,” said a party legislator who is also camping in the capital.
Notably, a group of party legislators lobbied for senior leader Th Biswajit Singh as Chief Minister after the party got an absolute majority in the assembly polls. But the central leadership picked up N Biren Singh for the second consecutive term.
