4 weeks ago
Last Updated:February 12, 2025, 23:56 IST
Senior BJP leader Sambit Patra met Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla twice in 24 hours amid political uncertainty after CM N Biren Singh's resignation.
Patra also held a meeting with BJP MLAs in the state on Wednesday. (PTI file photo)
Senior BJP leader Sambit Patra met Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday, second time in less than 24 hours, amidst his party’s efforts to resolve the political uncertainty following Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s resignation on Sunday.
Patra along with state party president A Sharda Devi had met Bhalla on Tuesday. They were also accompanied by state education minister Th Basanta Kumar Singh, NPF’s Manipur unit president Awangbou Newmai and JD(U) MLA Nasir.
Patra also held a meeting with BJP MLAs in the state on Wednesday and those who met included state consumer affairs minister L Susindro and MLA Karam Shyam.
Speaking to reporters, Shyam said there was no constitutional crisis following Singh’s decision to step down and the ongoing issues would be resolved by the Centre with the help of legislators.
“I don’t know about President’s Rule. I think the problem (ongoing leadership crisis) will be resolved by the Centre with the help of the legislators. I think there is no constitutional crisis in Manipur," the BJP MLA said. He came to a hotel in Imphal to meet Patra.
Responding to a question on the expiry of the maximum six-month interval between two consecutive sessions of the state assembly, Shyam said, “Let’s see what happens".
Asked if the name of the new chief minister would be announced, Shyam laughed and declined to comment.
Congress MLA Thokchom Lokeshwar, meanwhile, questioned the purpose of Patra’s visit to the state and asked if he intended to resolve the leadership crisis.
“It is really unfortunate for the BJP leaders to be not able to select their own CM and convene the assembly session. What is the purpose of Patra’s visit to the state? Has he come to break the state apart?’ Lokeshwar told reporters.
The Congress legislator said Patra should have taken the lead to appoint a new CM by discussing with the BJP MLAs.
“His visit is to ensure that there is no assembly session and the issues of the state remain sidelined. So far, he has not made any comment either," the former Speaker added.
On Tuesday, a BJP delegation led by Patra had met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan to discuss the next course of action.
Thokchom also said, “The act of declaring the Assembly session ‘null and void’ has never been heard in any other state." “If President’s Rule is imposed, the political scenario will change completely and the internal conflict within the BJP-led government will come under scrutiny as well," Thokchom said.
Meanwhile, experts have warned that with no one staking claim to form the government so far, the BJP-ruled Manipur may head towards a constitutional crisis.
If the situation remains so, the state is likely to be under President’s rule, they said.
Senior Supreme Court Advocate Arunabh Chowdhury told PTI, “In Manipur, the assembly is a live one… It is not under suspended animation or President’s Rule. It is mandatory to hold assembly sessions as per the Supreme Court order. Obviously, it will lead to a big constitutional crisis." There is no provision in Article 174 saying that this can be extended or be condoned beyond six months, he said.
Article 174 says that the Governor shall from time to time summon the House or each House of the Legislature of a state to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session.
After six months, it will lead to a constitutional deadlock and the President’s Rule under Article 356 is the only option, Chowdhury said.
Article 356 of the Constitution gives the President the power to impose this rule on a state on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers.
The Governor has already declared the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which was set to commence on February 10, as null and void.
The last session of the assembly in the restive state concluded on August 12, 2024.
More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)Location :Imphal, India, India
First Published:February 12, 2025, 23:56 IST
News politics BJP's Sambit Patra Holds Multiple Meetings With Governor, MLAs Amidst Political Uncertainty In Manipur
