Ram Madhav confident of BJP completing full five-year term in Manipur, says govt stable

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Madhav on Wednesday, June 24 exuded confidence in the N Biren Singh-led Manipur government and said it will complete a full five-year term. The party in-charge for North Eastern states appeared sure of having a stable government on a day when Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that National People's Party (NPP) has again decided to support BJP.

READ: Major Twist In Manipur Power Tussle As NPP Decides To Support BJP Govt Once Again

Madhav confident of BJP govt completing term

ANI quoted Madhav as saying, "Today, we are felicitating our newly elected member of Rajya Sabha. It was a grand victory for people of Manipur and BJP leadership. We are being asked about the stability of the government for one year. It is stable, it has been winning elections and will be stable until 2022." 

"We are celebrating and felicitating our newly-elected Rajya Sabha member. It was a grand victory for the people of Manipur and the BJP leadership," he added.

READ: Manipur Govt On The Verge Of Collapse As 9 Ruling Coalition MLAs Withdraw Support

North East political crisis 

In a big jolt to the BJP government in Manipur on June 17, three BJP MLAs resigned and 6 other coalition MLAs including the Deputy CM withdrew support.  BJP MLAs S Subhashchandra Singh, TT Haokip and Samuel Jendai, TMC MLA T Robindro Singh, 4 NPP MLAs, and Independent MLA Ashab Uddin extended their support to the Congress party. A day later, former CM Okram Ibobi Singh wrote to Governor Najma Heptulla staking claim to form the government. 

He urged her to summon a special session of the Assembly in a couple of days to vote on the motion of the no-confidence against the Council of Ministers which has already been moved before the Speaker. Alternatively, he suggested that the government could be outrightly dismissed as it is in a minority.

READ: Manipur Political Crisis: Congress Top Brass Dispatches Ajay Maken & Gogoi As Observers

However, BJP won a high-stakes battle for the Rajya Sabha seat in Manipur where its candidate Leisamba Sanajaoba secured 28 votes as against 24 votes received by Congress' nominee T Mangibabu. 

With the resignation of three BJP MLAs being accepted and the disqualification of 6 MLAs, the strength of the Manipur Assembly has reduced to 51. With the NPP's support, the BJP-led alliance has now 30 MLAs (including the Speaker) in the 51-member Manipur Assembly. This indicates that Congress might be unable to topple the government in the present scenario. 

The state Assembly has 60 seats, and in the elections, BJP won 21 seats, Congress won 28 seats. However, the former went on to make the government with its allies. 

READ: BJP, NPP To Work Together For Manipur's Development: Himanta