BJP, NPP to work together for Manipur's development: Himanta

The crisis staring at the BJP-led Manipur government seems to have blown over as National People's Party president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma met senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday and assured his party's support to it.

The Manipur government headed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh was plunged into crisis recently after four NPP and three BJP MLAs withdrew their support from it.

Himanta Sarma, BJP's trouble-shooter and convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance which comprises of the BJP and its allies in the Northeastern states, took an NPP delegation for a meeting with Shah.

"NPP delegation led by Sangma Conrad and Dy Chief Minister of Manipur Y Joy Kumar Singh met Home minister Amit Shah today in New Delhi. Both BJP and NPP will continue to work together for the development of Manipur," Sarma tweeted after the meeting.

They later met BJP president J P Nadda.

Following his meeting with Shah and Nadda, Sangma said his party will work together with the BJP in the interest of Manipur.

"A positive meeting took place between @JPNadda ji and @himantabiswa ji and the NPP delegation and we have decided to continue to work together in the interest of people of Manipur," he tweeted.

The NPP and other dissident MLAs have been demanding removal of Biren Singh, accusing him of working in an "autocratic" way and not addressing the issues raised by them.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who handles the party's North East affairs, asserted in Imphal that the state government will remain stable.

"Take it from me. We will be stable till 2022 (when next Assembly election will be held)," Ram Madhav told reporters at Imphal Airport.

Biren Singh also sought to downplay the trouble that has besieged his ministry saying it's a "family issue", and exuded confidence that the political problem will be resolved soon.

After the 2017 Assembly polls, the BJP had formed a coalition government with the help of the regional outfit NPP and others. PTI KR RDM

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