This will be the BJP's first government in the north-eastern state, where it did not win a single seat in the last assembly elections
The high-strung drama over who will form the government in Manipur continued late into Sunday night, and ended with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staking claim to form the government. State party leaders, along with Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, met Governor Najma Heptullah.
As news developed every few minutes, it is learnt that a chunk of Congress MLAs and the lone Trinamool Congress (TC) MLA Tongbram Robindro Singh moved over to the BJP camp, surprising everyone. The BJP already has the support of the lone Lok Janshakti Party from Langthabal, four candidates each from the National People's Party (NPP) and the Nagaland People's Front (NPF), BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said.
This will be the BJP's first government in the north-eastern state, where it did not win a single seat in the last assembly elections. N Biren Singh will be the new Chief Minister. Singh, a former Congress minister with a history similar to Himanta in Assam, was a footballer and then an editor.
"It is the people's mandate, they want a change. They don't want the rule of the gun, they want development and that's what BJP stands for," Singh told DNA.
Earlier in the day, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had alleged that the lone independent candidate, Jiribam MLA Ashab Uddin, has been abducted by the BJP.
"Independent MLA Ashabuddin is travelling with Minister Sh. Nasir. Federalism & rule of law being murdered in broad daylight by ModiGovt. (sic)," Surjewala tweeted. It appears that Ashab Uddin disappeared after landing in Imphal airport.
A source close to Ashab Uddin said that the fighting over him led his blood pressure to rise and he left for Jiribam. He is said to be doing fine now, and is understood to be supporting the BJP.
In a tightly-fought electoral battle, the BJP made a stunning entry into Manipur with 21 seats, while the Congress retained 28 of the 60 Assembly seats. The deciders here are the regional parties.
The Congress leadership too met the Governor in the afternoon to stake claim to form the government. But they have only 29 seats and the requisite number is 31.
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