Manipur: Two Congress MLAs defect to BJP ahead of upcoming state elections

Imphal: Two former Congress MLAs on Monday joined BJP ahead of the upcoming state elections due in early 2017. [caption id=“attachment_3056726” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Chief Minister of Manipur Ibobi Singh. AFP[/caption] The former Congress MLAs, N Biren and Francis Ngajokpa were warmly received by BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav, BJP’s National Democratic Alliance Convenor Himanta Biswa and state party President Bhabananda in Imphal. Ngajokpa had tendered his resignation from the house as well as from the primary membership of the party on 13 October and N Biren on 6 October this year. Though Ngajokpa maintained that he had resigned from Congress due to the pressure of his voters of Tadubi in Senapati district, N Biren alleged that the present incumbent Ibobi Singh government had failed to bring good governance in the state. Earlier in September last, veteran Congress MLA Y Erabot was the first to resign from the party to join BJP. This comes after Andro MLA Thounaojam Shyamkumar, Oinam MLA I Ibohalbi Singh, Konthoujam MLA Konthoujam Sarat Singh and Wangoi MLA Oinam Lukhoi Singh, four former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs, joined the Congress after resigning from the primary membership of TMC on 18 September, 2016.The four MLAs told a press conference that they have joined the Congress since the national leadership of the TMC “failed miserably” to take up the issues related to the Framework agreement signed between the NDA government at the Centre and NSCN (IM), territorial integrity of Manipur and implementation of the inner-line permit system in the state in Parliament. O Ibobi Singh warmly welcomed the legislators into the party and said the partymen will work hand-in-hand with them in the times to come.