A tribunal headed by Manipur Speaker Yumnam Khemchand has sent summons to seven MLAs to appear before it on May 8 for the final hearing on petitions seeking their disqualification. Political parties feel that the verdict of the tribunal may be declared on the same day.
All seven MLAs were elected in the 2017 Assembly polls on Congress tickets. However, they went on to “join” the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in batches.
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One MLA, Thounaojam Shyamkumar, who was also elected on a Congress ticket, “joined” the BJP even before he was sworn in as a member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. After hearing the case, in which the High Court and the Supreme Court were approached, since there was an inordinate delay in disposing of the case, the Speaker disqualified him on March 28.
Similar charges
Talking to reporters after disqualifying Shyamkumar, the Speaker said that there were issues on which disqualified MLA could not wriggle out. Since the nature of the charges are generally similar, the outcome of the May 8 hearing can be fairly anticipated, he said.
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Even though the seven Congress MLAs had announced they were joining the BJP, the Speaker never recognised them as members of the BJP — they continued to sit in the Opposition bench with Congress MLAs.
Though the apex court directed the Speaker to dispose of the disqualification petitions within three months, there was an unavoidable delay in view of the Manipur Assembly’s Budget session.
One for Rajya Sabha
Some sources in political circles here feel that the pending election of the lone Rajya Sabha MP from Manipur is likely to be held ahead of the May 8 hearing.
Three political parties had filed nomination papers for the seat. However, some days later, the Naga People’s Front, a coalition partner of the BJP-led Ministry, withdrew its candidate. Now, Manipur’s titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba is the BJP candidate in a straight fight for the seat with the Congress Party’s T. Mangibabu.
Many sections, including some armed groups, are completely against the candidature of the titular king. They are not happy that the king, who is respected by the people, has “stooped to contest in elections”, said a source. Mr. Sanajaoba has been refusing to meet any representative on the issue. His detractors demand he make room for his successor before contesting. Some insurgent groups are unhappy that the government has provided armed security guards to Mr. Sanajaoba.
Manipur has a written history of more than 2,000 years. Some insurgent groups have said in the past that they were demanding the restoration of the “independence of Manipur”, which was wrested “illegally and unconstitutionally”, and that they “never covet land belonging to others”.
With or without
Former Chief Minister and now the Congress Legislature Party leader Okram Ibobi said, in a view pregnant with political significance: “We hope that the seven MLAs shall vote for the Congress candidate.”
BJP leaders, however, are not unduly worried since they expect to win the elections even without the support of the seven disqualified MLAs.
In the 2017 elections, the Congress had secured 28 seats and the BJP 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly. Mr. Ibobi said, “We enjoyed majority since four NPP (National People’s Party) MLAs were with us. But the Governor invited the BJP to form the alternative Ministry.”
Governor Najma Heptulla has maintained that Mr. Ibobi had failed to prove his majority convincingly.
Demand for reshuffle
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has claimed that he enjoyed the support of 40 MLAs — or 39, after Mr. Shyamkumar’s disqualification. He nevertheless faces discomforting developments as some coalition partners and senior BJP MLAs have been demanding a major reshuffle of the State cabinet.
One BJP member disclosed that the 2017 agreement among the senior leaders was that “even the leadership would undergo a change after two-and-a-half years”. The BJP-led coalition government completed three years in office on March 16 this year.
All interest groups, including a grumbling Naga People’s Front, are keeping their fingers crossed.
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