Some Cong MLAs have held first round of talks with state BJP leaders on contesting next election
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 25 2010:
Everything in the ruling Congress party in Manipur is not hunky dory as it appears.
A strong ripple of dissidence, which may become a big wave as the next Manipur assembly election nears, is silently rocking what looks like the stillness of the Congress party's so-called cohesion.
A group of Congressmen including some MLAs, who see no hope for themselves in the party, which heads the present SPF government in the state, has held the first round of talks with the state BJP leaders at an undisclosed place as recently as on November 23, highly reliable sources told the Hueiyen Lanpao.
The meeting between the group from Congress, which was headed by one MLA and the BJP leaders' team with the state president Sh Shantikumar as its head discussed certain issues regarding the feasibility of these Congress MLAs leaving the party and joining BJP, and contest the next assembly election on BJP ticket against the Congress candidates, the sources revealed.
Certain agreements were arrived at the meeting and more such clandestine meetings would be held in near future too.
Leaders of Manipur Pradesh BJP have already informed the Party's national leaders about the latest development, the sources said.
The group of Congressmen and MLAs, who are planning to leave Congress party in due course of time, proposed three options during the meeting�that they should be given BJP tickets to contest the election to defeat the Ibobi-led SPF government, and the new government to be formed after the election should be of BJP.
The dissident Congress MLAs would, in consultation with the NDA leaders, contest the election, and when the BJP forms a new government in the state, the Chief Minister's post should be given to one of the MLAs, who quit Congress to join BJP.
These were said to be some of the proposals, rather conditions placed by the Congress MLA.
The Congress MLA, who took part in the meeting, whose name the sources requested not to be disclosed, told the BJP leaders' team about many adverse things of the SPF government under Chief Minister O Ibobi, the sources said.
All that juicy information had already been conveyed to the BJP central leaders, it is learnt.