Guwahati: The Manipur Chief Minister’s Secretariat has issued notices to 11 MLAs, including ministers, for skipping a meeting convened by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday.
The meeting was called to discuss the prevailing situation in the violence-hit state.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Among those served notices was Kshetrigao MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan of the National People’s Party (NPP), which had withdrawn support from the BJP-led government a day earlier.
The NPP issued show-cause notices to three of its seven MLAs for attending the meeting despite the party’s official withdrawal of support on Sunday.
These MLAs include Mayanglambam Rameshwar Singh (Kakching), Thongam Shanti Singh (Moirang), and Irengbam Nalini Devi (Oinam).
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
“Our Tamenglong MLA, Janghemlung Panmei, did not attend the meeting, but someone faked his signature to falsely show his presence,” The Hindu quoted an NPP leader based in the Imphal Valley as saying.
He added, “Our State Committee has written to our national president, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who has issued show-cause notices to the three MLAs for defying the party’s stance.”
Among the 11 legislators served notices by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, most belong to the BJP, with the exceptions being Sheikh Noorul Hassan and Sapam Nishikanta Singh, an independent MLA from Keishamthong.
Two BJP members, Khumukcham Joykisan (Thangmeiband) and Md. Achab Uddin (Jiribam), had previously switched allegiances from the Janata Dal (United). Interestingly, two NPP MLAs, N. Kayisii (Tadubi) and Khuraijam Loken Singh (Wangoi), were not served notices, unlike Mr. Hassan.
Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at the BJP over the developments, citing the turnout at Monday’s meeting.
“The Manipur Assembly has 60 MLAs. Last night, the CM of Manipur called a meeting in Imphal of all MLAs belonging to the NDA. Other than him, only 26 showed up. Of these 26, 4 belong to the NPP, whose national president has already written to the BJP national president withdrawing support to the present CM,” Ramesh wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Also present at the meeting was Rajya Sabha member Leishemba Sanajaoba from Manipur.
The BJP-led NDA in Manipur now has 46 MLAs after the NPP’s withdrawal. However, eight MLAs, including seven from the BJP, have remained absent from the Imphal Valley since ethnic clashes erupted on May 3, 2023.
These include Kuki-Zo legislators who fled amid the unrest.