Two days after being reduced to a minority, the BJP pulled off a virtual coup in Manipur with its candidate Leishemba Sanajaoba, the State’s titular king, winning the lone Rajya Sabha seat on Friday.
After a day of high political drama, during which the Opposition Congress approached the High Court of Manipur and met Governor Najma Heptulla for forming the government, Mr. Sanajoba was declared elected with 28 of the 52 valid votes in the House of 60 while his rival Tongbram Mangibabu of the Congress got 24.
“We knew we would win because many Congress MLAs were supporting us. But this is not the time to discuss other issues as the COVID-19 threat is looming large,” Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh said.
The BJP candidate, who faced opposition from local groups who felt he should be apolitical as the people’s king, said the victory was special since his grandfather had signed the agreement for Manipur’s merger with the Indian Union in September 1949.
Speaker’s role crucial
Speaker Yumnam Khemchand played a key role in the BJP’s game plan by letting four of the seven Congress MLAs facing disqualification vote in the election, despite an order of the Manipur High Court to “restrain” their entry into the Assembly. Mr Khemchand also prevented the other three MLAs, who could not produce court orders, from entering the Assembly.
The Congress had taken legal action against the seven for “defecting” to the BJP in 2017, soon after Mr Biren Singh formed the BJP-led coalition government.
The Speaker also disqualified T. Robindro, the lone Trinamool Congress MLA who had switched to the Congress camp. His disqualification was based on a petition filed against him by the Trinamool Congress earlier for allegedly having “merged” with the BJP three years ago.
As recently as June 17, three BJP lawmakers had resigned from the party and the Assembly and six other MLAs — four from the National People’s Party (NPP), Mr. Robindro and an independent MLA — withdrew their support to the BJP-led government. The Congress subsequently met Governor Najma Heptulla and staked claim to form the Secular Progressive Front (SPF) government.
A delegation of SPF constituents met the Governor again on Friday to reiterate the demand for a special session of the Assembly so that the motion of no-confidence could be taken up.
Meanwhile, NPP State president W.R. Kharlukhi won the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Meghalaya by defeating former MLA Kennedy Khyriem of the Congress.
In the only RS seat in Mizoram, K. Vanlalvena of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) won against B. Lalchhanzova of Zoram People’s Movement and Lallianchhunga of the Congress.
Nabam Rebia of BJP had won the lone seat in Arunachal Pradesh uncontested.
NPP and MNF are constituents of the BJP-fronted North East Democratic Alliance.