The politics of Ayaram Gayaram is still relevant today in India, the only change in the art of leaving and entering political arena is that the art is now concocted with the so called idea of Ram. The politics in Manipur is changing by every day. The kaleidoscopic changes bewilder the political analysts. Although BJP is ruling Manipur the opposition Congress and it’s former leaders are dominating the political drama being unfolded in the state.
The recent crisis begins with Yumnam Joykumar, the former deputy chief minister withdrawing support from Biren Singh government along with his three NPP colleagues . Another blow came to the Biren Singh government when three BJP MLAs, who did not get ministerial berth-Subhashchandra Singh, TT Haokip and Samuel Jendai-submitted their resignation to the Manipur Assembly Speaker and joined the Congress. The third one came from two MLAs- one from TMC and the other one independent MLA who have withdrawn the support from the Biren Singh government.
The Manipur BJP also received a major setback when the High Court of Manipur restrained the seven Congress MLAs, who defected to the BJP, from entering the assembly till Speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh disposed of the pending anti-defection cases against them.
Just before the recently held elections for the Rajya Sabha Speaker Khemchand Singh disqualified the four Congress MLAs who had returned to the party fold while allowing the other three, still with BJP, to vote in the Rajya Sabha election.
The decision of the speaker brought down the Congress tally to 26, at par with BJP, in a house which is now reduced to 52 members. The drama revolving the seat of power took an interesting turn when Rajkumar Imo Singh, a Congress MLA (he incidentally happened the son-in-law of Manipur CM Biren Singh) openly voted for the BJP candidate in the recently held RS elections. Another Congress MLA Okram Henry also voted against Congress at the instance of Imo Singh. As a result, the BJP candidate Leishemba Sanajaoba won the Rajya Sabha election getting 28 votes while his Congress rival got 24 votes. The drama unfolds many surprises. Now Himanta biswa Sarma the Finance Minister of Assam who is better known as a manage master and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who is the national head of NPP, took a chartered flight to Imphal and flew back taking the four NPP MLAs. Now the political onlookers are waiting for the next turn of this exciting drama which may even surprise the bollywood film script writers.
Political Drama in Manipur. Will the Biren Singh government survive
