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Crisis has blown over, says Koijam

The chief minister told PTI that a high-level Samata Party delegation led by George Fernandes met BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy, who promised that there was no question of a change in leadership of the People's Front coalition government.

In Delhi, BJP general secretary Narendra Modi told reporters that Krishnamurthy told the Samata Party delegation that there was no question of replacing Koijam.

The BJP president, according to the chief minister, also said he would soon summon Manipur BJP President Meinam Bhorot Singh and legislature wing leader R K Dorendra Singh and ask them not to disturb the Koijam ministry.

Krishnamurthy told the Samata delegation that there was no question of change of leadership in Manipur, Koijam said, asserting that the political crisis had blown over.

Manipur plunged into a political crisis on Monday as coalition partners - the Nationalist Congress Party and Federal Party of Manipur (FPM) -- with two legislators each, withdrew support to Koijam, who sacked four BJP and two FPM ministers for alleged links with militants, while seven others resigned.

Earlier in the day, Koijam said he would seek a vote of confidence in the state assembly and that he had written to Governor Ved Prakash Marwah, to summon the House.

He said a cabinet meeting would be held in Imphal on Wednesday to discuss the situation and to seek a fresh vote of confidence.

Samata Party spokesman Shambhu Srivastava told reporters in Delhi that any effort by the BJP to disturb the Koijam Government would be "violative" of the spirit of coalition politics and tarnish the image of the National Democratic Alliance.

If NDA partners fought among themselves, it would send a wrong signal and put a question mark on unity, he said.

Accusing Speaker Dhananjoy Singh of detaining BJP legislators at his residence, Srivastava said he was indulging in political activities in the national capital.

Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader in Imphal said on the condition of anonymity that Dorendra Singh would go to Delhi on May 17, to apprise the central leaders of the party's move to install a BJP-led ministry in Manipur.

BJP central leaders, he said, were likely to give the nod for the formation of a BJP-led ministry as the party's strength has risen to 26 in the 60-member House.

The leader said his party, after getting the green signal from central leaders, would submit a letter to Koijam, demanding a change in the leadership of the People's Front.

The acceptance of the merger of 18 MLAs of the Progressive Manipur State Congress Party with the BJP by the central leadership indicated that they also wanted a BJP-led ministry in Manipur, he contended.

"We, however, cannot do anything until we get a directive from the BJP central leaders," he said.

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