Imphal, February 17: Even though top functionaries of regional political parties in the State had visualised formation of a common platform to take on the national parties in the coming Assembly election the initiative is unlikely to materialise in the near future as interparty differences are yet to be sorted out.

As in the national scenario where non-Congress and non-BJP political parties are working overtime to strike an accord of like-minded political entities to form the Third Front, efforts were made to float a Regional Force comprising of the Manipur People's Party (MPP), Democratic people's Party (DRPP) and Federal Party of Manipur (FPM) to keep the Congress party coalition or national party like the BJP forming the next Govt.The speculation on failure to strike a rapport amongst the regional parties is mainly due to commitment and gradual withering of the momentum generated in the past few months especially when representatives of three political parties converged at the Babupara residence of MPP legislator Dr Nimaichand Luwang.

The january 23 meeting at Babupara is informed to have had a lengthy deliberation on floating a Regional Force and even arrived at a consensus to constitute a preparatory committee with DRPP's RK Anand as the convenor.

The brain-storming session also endorsed inviting Manipur State Congress Party to the new fold.

inspite of the fact that the State is slated to go to the polls late this year or early part of 2007 neither could the preparatory committee make any headway in bringing leaders and functionaries of the three main regional parties to the common platform nor were there enough interest or willingness from the MPP and FPM side at the current juncture due to differing opinions within the parties.

According to an FPM MLA the political organisation is itself besieged with internal problem as some important leaders are trying to split FPM and join national parties like Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Party (RJD).

Under such prevailing circumstances there is bleak possibility of the Regional Force materialising with participation of FPM as the ongoing internal wrangling hardly provides time and opportunity to party leaders towards formation of a non-Congress/BJP conglomerate, the MLA observed.

Far from the envisaged political entity generating interest among the FPM leaders and functionaries the political outfit having maximum number of opposition members in the State legislature are currently facing legislature wing leadership crisis after resignation of M Nillachandra from the said charge, the MLA revealed.

Even though Thanga Assembly Constituency MLA Salam Ibohal had been entrusted to solve the vacant legislature wing issue nothing constructive could be achieved till date, he maintained while observing that inspite of the regional parties finally deciding to set aside their respective ideologies and come under the new entity the question of who will head the coalition is certain to cause new rife.

On the other hand a close aide of newly elected MPP president L Borajao when asked to comment on prospect of the Regional Force curtly responded that the vision might have been favoured by party leaders and functionaries of the previous tenure but the issue had not been discussed by the new incumbent or his followers.

The prominent MPP member also disclosed that being one of the oldest political party of the region having strong base of its own, income source comparable with any political outfit and having run the State Government for three terms could not easily disband the organisation and form an all-together new political party.

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