Imphal, September 13, 2010: All India Congress Committee (AICC) has decided to retain Gaikhangam as the president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), despite the fact that a majority of the electorate of MPCC has been supporting MLA E Dwijamani as a candidate for the post of the chief of state Congress unit.

The election for the post of MPCC president has been scheduled for September 17 but since Gaikhangam was the lone contender who filed nomination papers today, only the formalities are left to be done.

Scrutiny of the papers will be held tomorrow.

Today was the last day for filing nomination papers.

This is the third consecutive term for Gaikhangam, an MLA from Nungba assembly constituency of Tamenglong district to hold the top post of the state unit Congress party.

MLA E Dwijamani, who is also the Chairman of Manipur Pollution Control Board, would be elected as the vice president of MPCC while MLA Ratankumar would be elected as the treasurer of the party, since they are the only candiates who filed nomination papers for the two posts respectively.

All three of them are expected to be declared as elected unopposed after the scrutiny tomorrow.

Three days of uncertainty over who between Gaikhangam and Dwijamani would be favoured by the AICC ended today as the AICC intimated its decision as to who would be the president of MPCC this afternoon.

Member of Central Election Committee of AICC, Sanjay Dadlika had an in camera meeting with the Chief Minister, O Ibobi and the incumbent, Gaikhangam at the Chief Minister's official bungalow this afternoon, reliable sources said.

It is learnt that in the meeting, Dadlika informed the Chief Minister and Gaikhangam that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had given a directive that Gaikhangam should be retained as the president of MPCC.

On hearing about the in camera meeting of the Congress observer, the Chief Minister and Gaikhangam at the Chief Minister's official bungalow, a large number of MPCC members, who had been assembled in support of E Dwijamani, came together to the Congress office in the afternoon, and staged a sit-in-demonstration in front of the gate of the Congress Bhavan.

The demonstration started at about 1.30 pm.

Ex-MLAs Ngamthang Haokip, Dr Maniruddin Shaikh, Radhakishore, Bihari, etc.

among others took part in the demonstration demanding organisational election of the party.

They also demanded that the AICC should issue nomination papers to the candidates.

When their demand was not hear by the high command, they threatened to resign from the posts they were holding with immediate effect.

The report further said with tensions high, Chief Minister, O Ibobi sent some of his ministers and MLAs to assuage the electorates before things worsened and violent incidents erupt.

Among the protesting electorates, Ngamthang Haokip, Jagamlung, Jotin met with the Chief Minister when the latter invited them for talks but no agreement could be reached in the talks.

During the protest, supporters of Dwijamani raised various slogans calling for a democratic practice in the party and their wish to go for polls for the election of the party president.

Later, IFCD minister N Biren along with some MLAs held another round of meeting to calm the protesting PCC members.

They appealed for calm and to come to a point of agreement but it was in vain as the protestors remained firm in their stand to hold an election for the post and instead asked the Chief Minister to come to the MAHUD office.

When the situation worsened, Chief Minister, O Ibobi rushed to the Congress Bhavan at about 4 pm.

He, with MP, Thangso Baite, pleaded to the protestors to enter the Bhavan but the protestors refused to do so.

With strong insistence from the Chief Minister, former minister Ngamthang Haokip, former Speaker Maniruddin Sheikh and some other leaders of the protesting group finally agreed to hold talks.

In the meeting it was agreed that all protesting PCC members take part in the meeting.

After a marathon meeting inside the bhavan, general secretary Bidyapati Senjam read out the decisions arrived at in the meeting to media persons present.

He announced that an amicable solution had been brought about.

Gaikhangam would file his nomination as president of MPCC, E Dwijamani as vice president and Dr Kh Ratankumar as treasurer, he added.

After scrutiny, the election of the three as president, vice president and treasurer would be declared, Bidyapati added.

With Bidyapati's announcement, installing Gaikhangam as president of MPCC for the next term was finally ensured.

It may be recalled that E Dwijamani had claimed support of 52 electorates out of the total of 60 and also the support of 12 district presidents.

As the situation returned to normalcy, Gaikhangam was called up to the Congress Bhavan but he refused to come up.

Later, minister N Biren went to the official quarters of Gaikhangam and returned with him to the Bhavan.

The returning officer handed over the nomination paper for candidature to the post of the MPCC president to Gaikhangam.

The scrutiny of the nomination papers filed will be done tommorow which would be followed by the declaration of election of the trio for the posts.

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