Threesitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs from Manipur resigned from the partyand joined the Indian National Congress (INC) on Wednesday.
Six other MLAs withdrew support as well. This major setback has shaken the N Biren Singh led NDA government and will create political instability in the state. The government is pushed to a minority state and Congress may form the government. The NDA government's strength has reduced to 26 in the assembly.
The three legislators – Subhash Chandra Singh, TT Haokip, and Samuel Jendai resigned as BJP MLAs and joined the Congress in Imphal.
Y. Joykumar Singh, N. Kayisii, L Jayanta Kumar Singh, and Letpao Haokip of National People's Party (NPP) resigned from the ministerial posts as well.
The only MLA from Trinamool Congress T Robindro Singh, and an independent MLA Shahabuddin from Jiribam has withdrawn support from the BJP led government too.
The total strength of the assembly stands at 59. It previously had 60 members until Shyamkumar Singh of Andro assembly constituency, who had switched to the BJP from Congress, was disqualified. In the Assembly elections in 2017, the BJP bagged 21 seats, while the Congress emerged as the largest party with 28 MLAs. However, BJP came to power with the support of NPP and other non-Congress MLAs.
More updates to follow…
