5 Manipur MLAs who resigned from Cong join BJP

Five ex-Congress MLAs of Manipur, who recently resigned from the state assembly and the party, joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday in the presence of chief minister N Biren Singh.

Welcoming them in the party, BJP general secretary and the party's pointsman for the northeast Ram Madhav said there is no threat to the Biren Singh government in Manipur now. 

It will not only complete its tenure but will be reelected, he said.

Henry Okram, nephew of former chief minister and senior Congress leader Ibobi Singh, Panonam Broken, Oinam Lukhoi Singh, Ngamthang Haokip, Ginsuanhau Zou were inducted into the BJP by its vice president Baijayant Jay Panda.

Madhav also said the state government has support of 34 MLAs in the assembly, which has effective strength of 47 as there are 13 vacancies.

The chief minister had arrived in Delhi with the former Congress MLAs who resigned both from the party and the assembly after skipping the trust vote proceedings in defiance of a party whip.

The BJP-led government had won the Monday trust vote 28-16.