Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party will continue to support the BJP-led government in Manipur, Assam minister and the BJP troubleshooter in the northeast, Himanta Biswa Sarma has tweeted. The change of heart of the MLAs — who quit the BJP-led coalition government in the northeast state earlier this month, bringing it to the brink of collapse — came after they had a meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi, Mr Sarma posted in the microblogging site.
“A NPP delegation led by @SangmaConrad and Dy Chief Minister of Manipur Sri Y Joy Kumar Singh met Honble President of @BJP4India Sri @JPNadda ji today in New Delhi. NPP will continue to support BJP govt in Manipur for the development of Manipur,” his tweet read.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s government was thrown into turmoil earlier this month after nine MLAs — including four from key ally NPP, three from the BJP, the lone Trinamool Congress MLA and Independent MLA — withdrew support.
The NPP legislators — including the state’s former Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar Singh and cabinet ministers N Kayisii, L Jayanta Kumar Singh and Letpao Haokip — were flown to Delhi this morning.
The NPP MLAs had joined hands with arch-rival Congress to form the Secular Progressive Front or SPF. Blaming the BJP’s high-handed behavior for the rift, they had vowed never to change their mind.
In April, Yumnam Joykumar Singh was stripped of his portfolios by Chief Minister Biren Singh following a controversy over rice allocation under the National Food Security Act during the lockdown. All four MLAs had indicated that they wanted Chief Minster N Biren Singh out.
The BJP went into damage control mode after the Congress met the Governor and demanded a floor test.
Mr Biswa Sarma and senior BJP leader Ram Madhav were deputed for crisis management. After a meeting with the rebels yesterday, Mr Sarma told reporters that the situation needed intervention by the party’s top leadership.
Ram Madhav, who landed in Imphal today, said he was confident that the BJP-led Manipur government in the state will complete its full term.
“You have been asking me since last year whether the NDA government will last. I am confident it will continue till till 2022 without a hitch,” he told reporters.
Sources said the MLAs started having second thoughts after Mr Sarma started negotiations. The Congress had sent party leaders Ajay Maken and Gaurav Gogoi to the state to manage the situation, but they returned empty-handed after Mr Sarma landed in Imphal, sources said.
A CBI team that landed in Imphal yesterday has meanwhile been questioning former Chief Minster Okram Ibobi Singh, who was leading the SPF, in a Rs 322 crore scam.