MPCC president Loken claimed that after Govindas has left the Congress party, the crisis inside the party has been resolved.
TFM Report
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president N Loken on Sunday asserted that after Govindas Konthoujam has joined the BJP, the state unit of the BJP now has ‘two tigers in a den’.
Ending weeks of speculation and political uncertainty, former MPCC president Govindas Konthoujam joined the BJP at its national headquarters in New Delhi. Hours after his joining MPCC held a press briefing at Congress Bhawan, Imphal.
Stating that the present BJP led government in Manipur has been facing a leadership crisis since its inception in 2017, Loken contended that during the welcome ceremony on Sunday both the chief minister N Biren Singh and Govindas Konthoujam were unhappy. The face is the index of mind, he said and added that their body language during the ceremony gave away.
He also pointed out that no heavyweight BJP national leaders like its national president JP Nadda or Union Home Minister Amit Shah were present during the welcome ceremony on Sunday.
Loken also said that Govindas is someone who has been elected six times and been a minister four times. By resigning from a ‘prestigious’ post like MPCC president, he has joined the BJP. And he must not have taken the decision lightly, he added.
The MPCC president also maintained that after Govindas has left the Congress party, the crisis inside the party has been resolved. Everyone is focusing unitedly on the state general election to be held in the early part of 2022, he added, while maintaining that Congress will get a full majority.
Loken also lashed out at the BJP led Manipur government, accusing it of muzzling the freedom of media, and speech and expression during its reign. He also said that those who give a negative opinion about the government are being arrested. Journalists are being slapped with NSA even after getting bail, he added.
“It is only the leaders of the government who are telling the media that the present government is doing good,” he added.
Loken also said that the ‘hearing’ is over and the ‘judgement’ has been reserved by the people and they will give their verdict in 2022.
On CM Biren’s remark during the welcome ceremony that more Congress MLAs will join BJP soon, Loken asserted it was the chief minister’s imagination while assuring that no MLA will join BJP.
The MPCC president argued that the MLAs who had left the Congress and supported the BJP are in a dishonorable condition. Except for one who is serving as a minister, where are the others now, he asked.
Loken also lashed out at CM Biren for his frequent trip to Delhi in recent times during the critical COVID situation in the state. It is unfortunate for the chief minister, who is also in charge of health in the state government, to go to Delhi to increase the number of MLAs for his government while people are dying due to the dreaded pandemic, he added.