Task before new MPP president : Manipur needs a strong MPP
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 05 2018 -

The Manipur People’s Party now has a new president in the person of Oinam Jugindro, though it won’t be his first time in the said post.

The task before the new incumbent must be clear and that is to see how to take the right steps to revive the party, which does not even have an MLA in the State Assembly.

The downfall of one of the oldest regional political parties in the North East is a tragedy, a bigger tragedy given the fact that the BJP which is ruling at New Delhi and Imphal, is a party which believes in tying up with regional political parties.

It is sad that the MPP, which once posed the biggest challenge to the mighty Congress, has today been reduced to the status of a non-entity.

A party which gave Manipur such political stalwarts as former Chief Ministers Md Alimuddin, RK Ranbir, the inimitable O Joy and others is today a pale shadow of its former self and this is a pity.

A reflection of the top leadership of the party failing to sail with the need of the time and unable to look beyond the office complex located on a prime plot just behind Polo Ground or Mapal Kangjeibung. A party which has not been able to send a single MLA to the Assembly for two consecutive terms and the rot within the party must be clear to all.

This is a point which should not blow over the head of the new president of the party.

If it is the sway and influence of the National parties such as the Congress and the BJP which dealt a big blow to the MPP, it also stands that most of the reasons why the National parties were able to deliver the pulverising blows to the regional party is due to its own making.

Infighting, which has nothing to do with inner democracy of the party, is one primary reason.

Just how deep rooted is the infighting can be seen from the numerous confrontations that the people witnessed at the party’s headquarters.

One just has to recollect what happened at the party’s office some time back between the different groups within the party.

It is this which the new president should seek to address.

The reality is, forget about failing to send a single MLA to the House of 60, will the MPP be in any position to field any candidate when Assembly election is held four years down the line ?

Forget the next Assembly election, what influence will the MPP wield when Lok Sabha elections come in 2019 ?

More than apparent that the MPP cannot hope to stand on its own at this point of time and it would do good for the party to strike alliances with other political parties.

Moreover it is also more than clear that the reach of the party is now limited only to the valley area and does not have any say in the hills.

This is a shame for remember the NPF, which is primarily based in Nagaland has been able to make inroads and even emerged as the single largest Opposition party in Manipur when the Congress steam rolled its way to power after the Assembly elections in 2012.

Time for the leaders of the MPP to sit down and sincerely see where they went wrong and take up the right steps in the coming days.

Manipur certainly needs a strong MPP and the party should realise this and acknowledge the fact that Manipur needs a strong regional political party in the face of the different threats to the existence of Manipur as a geo-political reality.