No more Cong MLAs in line to join BJP : MPCC chief

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 18: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Gaikhangam has categorically stated that no more Congress MLAs are contemplating to join or support BJP in the State.
He went on to claim that the seven Congress MLAs who had already switched allegiance to BJP have been deeply regretting their decisions as they are literally caught in a trap which has no exit.
Speaking to media persons at a booth level interaction programme of Congress workers held today at Kangla Sangomshang under Khurai Block Congress Committee today, Gaikhangam dismissed the media report about seven more Congress MLAs waiting in line to join BJP as the latter’s cheap propaganda aimed at diverting public attention from the internal crisis besieging the BJP-led coalition Government.
Given irreconcilable discord which has sharply polarised the State BJP, no MLAs would think of joining the party, said the MPCC president. 
As for the seven Congress MLAs who switched allegiance to BJP earlier, they are caught in a trap unable to come back to Congress out of shame, he said.
In spite of all their best efforts, BJP would never succeed in fragmenting Congress party, he asserted.
Replying to a query regarding restoration of Works and Power portfolios to Th Biswajit even as an enquiry was going on in connection with withdrawal of huge amounts of fund from the two departments when the election model code of conduct was in force, Gaikhangam decried that the BJP-led Government has been paying no heed to Congress party’s repeated demands to put the enquiry report in the public domain.
He went on to ask if the Government has any secret agenda behind restoring Works and Power portfolios to Th Biswajit.
Speaking at the interaction programme, Gaikhangam claimed that the BJP-led coalition Government is destined to collapse on account of the sharp differences within BJP.
It appears that there are four/five people within BJP Manipur Pradesh who are vying for the top leadership of the State Government, he remarked.
The coalition Government would collapse not because of external pressure but due to internal discord.  No external forces would be needed for the Government would collapse under its own weight, he asserted.
Asserting that the only achievement of the incumbent Government is renaming projects taken up during the previous Congress Government, Gaikhangam asked the Government to launch a ‘Go to Delhi’ campaign before undertaking any ‘Go to Village’ mission.
He urged the Government to go to Delhi and bring money for taking up several development projects in the State.
He then appealed to all the people, particularly Congress supporters to work hard and collectively so as to ensure that Congress party wins 45 out of the State’s total 60 seats in the next State Assembly election which would be held in 2022.
Gaikhangam also underscored the importance of strengthening Congress party at the grassroots level and keeping a close touch with the masses.
The way Jammu & Kashmir has been downgraded and bifurcated into two Union Territories smacks of BJP’s sheer disrespect for minorities. It would have been much better if Jammu&Kashmir was retained as a State even though Ladakh is separated as a Union Territory, Gaikhangam rued.
Warning that what the BJP-led NDA Government did to Jammu&Kashmir can be repeated in Manipur, the Congress president, while pointing out that BJP and some other political parties welcomed what NDA Government did to Jammu & Kashmir, went on to ask if they would welcome any similar move in Manipur. The way BJP rules the Nation has been pushing the  country on a path of disintegration, he added.
The interaction programme was also participated by MPCC vice-president Sagolsem Achouba, general secretary (administration) Hareswar Goswami, secretary (administration) S Jiten, secretary S Birla, secretary Siraj Ahamad and PCC member P Saratchandra.