Congress’s woes deepen ahead of Manipur Polls: MLA Chaltonlien Amo joins BJP

The political temperature is soaring high in poll-bound Manipur with every party involved in hectic politicking. However, it was yet another setback for the Congress ahead of the assembly elections,

The political temperature is soaring high in poll-bound Manipur with every party involved in hectic politicking. However, it was yet another setback for the Congress ahead of the assembly elections, as MLA Chaltonlien Amo dumped the grand old party today.

BJP got a shot in its arm as Amo representing the Tipaimukh assembly constituency jumped ship to the saffron party. Amo was welcomed to the BJP election in-charge for Manipur and Union minister Bhupendra Yadav, Chief Minister N Biren Singh, state BJP President A Sharda Devi besides others. MLA Chaltonlien Emo joining the BJP comes a day after the Election Commission of India announced the election dates.

It needs to be mentioned that Congress had also suffered a blow on Wednesday when senior sitting legislator from Tengnoupal, D Korungthang joined the NPF. Soon after Korungthang submitted his resignation on Tuesday, he was suspended by Congress for alleged anti-party activities.

Recently, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s son-in-law and Congress MLA from Sagolband Rajkumar Imo Singh along with another Congress MLA from Saikul seat Yamthong Haokip had joined the BJP. Earlier too the lone LJP MLA Karan Shyam also switched his allegiance to the Saffron Party.

It seems trouble has mounted for the Congress which had emerged as the single largest party in the 2017 elections by winning 28 seats but has now been reduced to a party of only about a dozen MLAs. However, it could not cobble up an alliance and form the government IN 2017.

The BJP which won 21 seats formed the government with the support of 4 NPP MLAs, 4 NPF MLAs and 1 MLA each from TMC, Lok Janashakti Party as well as an independent MLA.

Meanwhile, the NPP which is an ally of the BJP in Manipur has decided to go solo in the polls. NPP national president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is spearheading the party’s campaign and is intending to contest in almost 40 seats. However, the party suffered a setback when Letpao Haokip, a minister in the N. Biren Singh cabinet, joined the BJP. So, indeed the tone is all set for the poll battle in Manipur with significant political developments taking place. However, one has to wait and watch how things unfold in the future.

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