Imphal, June 26: With Chief Minister O Ibobi returning from Delhi today after camping there for days, the guess game over the question of when the next expansion of the Council of Ministers will be effected has been settled with a formal notification being issued today that six new Ministers will be sworn in tomorrow at the Raj Bhawan at 3 pm.

The six MLAs most likely to be anointed are, Y Erabot of Wangkhei Assembly Constituency, K Ranjit of Sugnu Assembly Constituency, N Biren of Heingang Assembly Constituency, N Loken of Nambol Assembly Constituency, L Jayentakumar of Keishamthong Assembly Constituency and D Thaisii of Karong Assembly Constituency.

The six names were settled after days of hectic lobbying and discussion with the AICC high command including Sonia Gandhi at New Delhi.

The internal rift within the CLP and the MPCC (I) also added to the complexity of the issue and it was only after some kind of understanding was reached that the names of six MLAs were decided upon.

Armed with the approved names of the six MLAs, Chief Minister O Ibobi returned to Imphal today morning on an Indigo flight.

Three Cabinet Ministers accompanied the Chief Minister on his return to Imphal from Delhi.

They were Phungzathang Tonsing, TN Haokip and MD Allauddin Khan.

However MPCC (I) president Gaikhangam, K Govindas and Bijoy Koijam who have been camping at Delhi for the last many days did not return to Imphal today.

Obviously satisfied with the way things have turned out, Chief Minister O Ibobi went to Raj Bhawan and met the Governor for about three hours.

Crisis hit the CLP and the MPCC (I) following the resignation of Gaikhangam from the Council of Ministers and though the Congress played down the internal rift story, the delay in expanding the Ministry was attributed to the growing rift between the Chief Minister and the MPCC (I) president Gaikhangam.

Adding to the headache of the Chief Minister and the Congress leaders was the demand put up by the State unit of the RJD that one of their MLAs should be inducted in the Ministry since the RJD is a partner of the UPA at Delhi.

RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav had also met Sonia Gandhi and presented the case of his party.

The RJD has four MLAs in the House of 60.However though there is no talk of an RJD MLA being inducted in the next expansion, the party is still keeping its fingers crossed and hoping for the best, said a well placed source, while talking to The Sangai Express today.

On the other hand, the CPI which was also looking ahead to another one of its MLAs being inducted in the Ministry has opted out of the berth race.

A reliable source while talking to The Sangai Express said that though there is only one Congress MLA, O Landhoni, wife of the Chief Minister, her name is not in the list of MLAs to be inducted in the Council of Ministers.

Ever since Sonia Gandhi took over the reins of the AICC, it has been the culture of the Congress party to give priorities to women MLAs.

Though nothing is official as yet on who would be inducted in the Council of Ministers tomorrow, Chief Minister O Ibobi reportedly submitted the names of the six MLAs to the Governor today during the meeting.

Once the six new MLAs are inducted in the Ministry, then the strength of the Council of Ministers will reach the 12 figure mark.

The strength of the Ministry cannot exceed this mark following a legislation passed in Parliament during the time of the BJP led NDA Government.

Significantly, though Gaikhangam submitted his resignation letter more than a month back, the resignation was officially accepted only today.

An official notification was issued by the Chief Secretary today.

The six to be anointed ?
1) Y Erabot (Wangkhei AC
2) K Ranjit (Sugnu AC)
3) N Loken (Nambol AC)
4) N Biren (Heingang AC)
5) L Jayentakumar (Keishamthong AC)
6) DD Thaisii (Karong AC).

Comment