Eyeing second term in Manipur, BJP may ditch Conrad Sangma's NPP, make pre-poll alliance with NPF

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could get into an alliance with Naga People’s Front (NPF) and may ditch Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP) as it looks to get a second term in Manipur, top sources claimed.

Sources also indicate that so far there has been no specific talk on seat-sharing between BJP & Naga People’s Front (NPF).

Recently, NPF leadership met central leaders of the  BJP, including Union minister Amit Shah, to come to an understanding, which could lead to a friendly fight on a number of seats, said sources.

Sources in the NPF told CNN News18 that the party which contested 10 seats in the last assembly elections, winning four MLAs, is likely to demand 15 seats.

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The BJP alliance which is in power in Meghalaya along with Conrad Sangma’s party is unlikely to follow suit in Manipur, given the fact that during the last time crisis of the Biren Singh government was also administered by the fact that four NPP MLAs who were also ministers in the government had withdrawn support.

Sources also indicate that the BJP could be contesting all 60 seats in the state. The saffron party has set itself a target of 40 of the 60 seats in the upcoming polls.

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Manipur goes to polls in two phases on February 27 and March 3. Currently, the NDA, led by the BJP, is in majority in the assembly with 36 of the 60 seats — this includes 24 BJP MLAs and four MLAs from NPP and NDF each, 1 from LJP, and three independents.

Leading the NDA government,  Biren Singh on March 15, 2017, formed the government in Manipur. It, however, got a major jolt in June 2020, when nine MLAs, including ministers, withdrew their support from the government, reducing it to a minority. An intervention by the central leadership within a week resulted in four NPP MLAs coming back to the NDA fold, averting the fall of the government.

Singh was able to win the trust vote during which of the 24 MLAs of Congress, eight defied the party whip and abstained from voting. Later, O Henry Singh and six others resigned from the Congress.