NPP rebels change mind; BJP, NPP to work together for 'Manipur's development'

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, said both the BJP and the National People’s Party (NPP) will continue to work together for “Manipur’s development”.

“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.

Sarma’s statement and the change in the decision of the rebel MLAs — who quit the BJP-led coalition government in the northeast state earlier this month — comes after a meeting by the NPP delegation with Shah.

The NPP legislators — including the state’s former Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar Singh  and cabinet ministers N Kayisii, L Jayanta Kumar Singh and Letpao Haokip — were flown to Delhi this morning.

NPP president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma too met senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday (June 24) as the saffron party worked to win back the regional party’s support to stabilise its government in Manipur.

The NPP and other dissident MLAs have been demanding removal of Biren Singh.

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.

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

The NPP MLAs had joined hands with arch-rival Congress to form the Secular Progressive Front (SPF). Blaming the BJP’s high-handed behavior for the rift, they had vowed “never to change their mind”.

Meanwhile, 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.

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

(With inputs from agencies)