In what might cheer the ruling Congress in poll-bound Manipur, four legislators of the Trinamool Congress — including party president Thounaojam Shyamkumar —have deserted the party and joined the Congress.
The joining of the four legislators assumes significance due to the ‘dissidence’ in the ruling party after senior Congress leader Y Erabot Singh had last week joined the BJP.
Besides, Shyamkumar (Andro constituency), other MlAs, include O lukhoi Singh (Wangoi), Irengbam Ibohalbi Singh (Oinam), and K Sharat Singh (Konthoujam).
The Trinamool Congress legislators have cited neglect from the party’s central leadership as the main reasons behind the move and said the party MPs and central leadership failed to understand and take up the State issues.
“We are answerable to the people of the State... Although the State was burning recently over the issue of implementation of Inner line Permit, none of the party MPs had taken up the issue in Parliament despite our repeated requests,” said Shyamkumar.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP, which had created history in recent polls in Assam held in April this year by defeating the Congress, is now desperately eyeing the Manipur elections slated for early next year.
The BJP has already floated an anti-Congress front, North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), and has been trying to woo all the regional political parties under its fold to overthrow the Congress governments from different states. While the BJP led front has been able to rope in a good number of regional parties of the region, it has also been trying to woo the disgruntled Congress leaders in Manipur and other states to its fold to strengthen the BJP as well as the NEDA.
The NEDA has recently claimed that several political leaders in Manipur including those from the ruling Congress had expressed their desire to join the BJP.