‘Rift between NPP and BJP in Manipur won’t spill over to Meghalaya’

SHILLONG/GUWAHATI: National People’s Party and BJP, who are allies in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, are confident that the fallout of their separation from the coalition government in Manipur will not spill over to Meghalaya.
But BJP in Meghalaya wants NPP MLAs in Manipur to vote for the BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha election to be held on Friday despite coming out of the coalition government in reciprocation of BJP’s support to NPP candidate in Meghalaya.
Meghalaya chief minister and NPP national president Conrad K Sangma said here on Thursday that the situation which was unfolding in Manipur has a “lot to do with the leadership (of Manipur chief minister Biren Singh)” and was more of an “individual-based” issue.
He said, “I have apprised the coalition partners in the NPP-led ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) about the political developments in Manipur and assured that the situation would not impact Meghalaya.”
Meghalaya health minister Alexander Laloo Hek of BJP told TOI, “There will be no impact of the Manipur developments in Meghalaya but today we have submitted a memorandum to NPP national president (and chief minister) Conrad K Sangma requesting him that his party MLAs in Manipur vote in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha election. We have extended our support to the NPP-sponsored candidate for Rajya Sabha in Meghalaya and we also expect reciprocity from NPP.”
When asked what was the response from Sangma, Hek said, “He said that it is tough job but he would try.”
The ruling MDA has 40 members in the House of 60 in Meghalaya, in which NPP with 21 members is the major partner while BJP has only two members.
After four MLAs of the NPP withdrew their support from the Manipur government, Conrad said that it was triggered by the resigning of three BJP MLAs from the Manipur government.
Sangma said his NPP withdrew support to BJP in the coalition government in Manipur because of “concerns regarding leadership issue” and “interference” of Manipur chief minister Biren Singh.
Sangma added that BJP national leadership was aware of the growing discontent among NPP ministers against chief minister Biren Singh’s leadership.
“There were concerns regarding the leadership Manipur chief minister. Some portfolios of our ministers were taken away. Some interference was there. We raised these concerns with BJP’s national leadership and whatever the case maybe, we continued to work together, but it was only when the three MLAs from the BJP itself resigned that it triggered the entire sequence of events,” Sangma said.
Sangma said that two NPP secretaries from Mizoram and Nagaland will visit Manipur to assess the situation.
Manipur NPP leader and former state health minister, Langpoklakpam Jayantakumar Singh, who is among the four NPP ministers who resigned on Wednesday, shared his comment on his Facebook saying, “There is no room for negotiation, surrender, or retreat. NPP’s stand is final & clear. There is no room for autocratic, ineffective and inefficient government for the people of Manipur in a Democracy.”