Cong gunning for Governor : Is it healthy for democracy ??
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 27 2018 -

Tough to say how well the sharp criticism of Governor Najma Heptulla by the State unit of the Congress will go down with the people, and importantly is it in line with the general observation that the office of the Governor is above politics ?

The Congress obviously thinks otherwise and hence the acid laced criticism of the Governor, with veteran Congress leader Gaikhangam even going to the extent of urging her to be the ‘Governor of Manipur, not BJP’s Governor.’

This is not a comment on how the Governor should behave but in many ways publicly criticising the Governor has only added more masala to the political scenario.

The question is whether the Congress acted responsibly in launching the scathing criticism against the Governor or not.

Let the people judge and the answer to this may come sooner rather than later as Lok Sabha election is poised to be held sometime in the early part of next year.

The Congress will obviously have reasons to be peeved with Governor Najma Heptulla.

One chief reason would obviously be the fact that though the Congress emerged the single largest party after the State Assembly election in the early part of 2017, it was not invited to form the Government, the Governor insisting on the personal presence of all the MLAs they claim to support them (Congress).

Undermining the sanctity of the office of the Governor, is one charge levelled against Najma Heptulla by the Congress and this may be interpreted as the Governor acting in the interest of the BJP led Government.

Here it may be in line to remind all that Najma Heptulla is a representative of the Centre, which is under the BJP led Government.

An effective Opposition. That is what the Congress ought to be.

However going all out against the Governor may not exactly be what is prescribed to be a good and effective Opposition.

Or is the criticism levelled against the Governor a prelude to what the Lok Sabha election is going to be here in Manipur ?

Still some days more before the Lok Sabha election is held, but already one can see political parties gearing up for 2019.

Which way the wind blows is anybody’s guess, but to N Biren Singh this Lok Sabha election will perhaps be a test, the like of which he has never encountered before.

And it is here that it will become interesting to see how the BJP respond to the stinging criticism levelled by the Congress against the Governor.

Will the BJP take up cudgels on behalf of the Governor ?

Or more importantly is it politically prudent to come out against the criticism by the Congress ?

Remember the more the name of the Governor is used, the more it will mean dragging in the office of the Governor in a tug of war between the two principal political parties.

Perhaps this is the first time that a political party has come out so openly against a sitting Governor and herein lies the merit of making the news a seven column lead news in The Sangai Express.

And as it is with the line of professionalism in The Sangai Express the seven column lead news was not because it found substance in the allegations of the Congress but more because publicly criticising the Governor is something unheard of in the recent history of Manipur.