
Manipur RS MP Leishemba Sanajaoba hopes for a govt in the state in next 2 months
Leishemba Sanajaoba
Synopsis Leishemba Sanajaoba hopes for a popular government in Manipur soon. Sambit Patra visited Manipur and met with key leaders. He also met former Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Twenty-one MLAs urged the formation of a government to ensure peace. Manipur has been under President's Rule since February. The assembly's tenure lasts until 2027. Manipur's Rajya Sabha MP, Leishemba Sanajaoba expressed hope that a popular government would be installed in the state within the next couple of months.
ADVERTISEMENT The lone Rajya sabha MP in a programme said, "We have placed personal ambition above the state's interests. The imposition of President's Rule happened because we prioritised power and self-interest over Manipur's welfare. "
Recently BJP's northeast in-charge Sambit Patra visited Manipur.
The state has been under President's rule since February this year. Patra visited Churachandpur and met key leaders, including Thanlon MLA Vungzagin Valte, who survived a mob attack in Imphal on May 4, 2023.Patra also held meetings with Churachandpur legislator L M Khaute and leaders of the Zomi Students' Federation (ZSF), who submitted a memorandum outlining their concerns.He came back to Imphal and held a meeting with former Chief minister N Biren Singh. A senior BJP leader said, 'There were some MLAs present in the meeting.'
ADVERTISEMENT He met Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, BJP MLA Yumnam Khemchand Singh, BJP MLA Shyamkumar Singh and BJP MLA and former minister L Susindro Meitei. There was a meeting with Naga People's Front (NPF) leaders Awangbow Newmai, Khashim Vashum.' NPF is an ally of BJP in Manipur.Patra's visit comes nearly a week after 21 Manipur MLAs wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, urging them to form a "popular government" in the state, which is under President's rule to ensure peace and normalcy.
ADVERTISEMENT An MLA who does not want to be named said that among the 21 MLAs, most of MLAs belonged to BJP and MLAs of National People's Party (NPP), NPF and two independent legislators were part of the group.The letter of the MLAs to the Prime Minister and the union home minister said that the people of Manipur welcome the President's Rule with lots of hope and expectations, but no visible actions to bring peace and normalcy in the state have been seen so far.
ADVERTISEMENT Manipur has been under the President's Rule since February 13. The 60- Manipur Assembly, which, after the promulgation of President's Rule, has been put under suspended animation, has a tenure till 2027.With BJP falling to find a consensus candidate for the chief ministership, President's rule was imposed on, four days after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who was heading a BJP-led government for the second term, resigned on February 9, following ethnic violence.
ADVERTISEMENT A senior BJP leader, who did not want to be named, said, 'There are too many candidates in the fray for the chief minister ship. Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh and former Municipal Administrations, Housing and former Urban Development minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh were vying for the chief minister's post.'He said two former ministers, including Th Biswajit and Govindas Konthoujam were also in the race.
Over 260 people were killed, more than 1,500 injured, and over 70,000 people displaced after the ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo people on May 3, 2023, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March', organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
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