In fresh trouble for the Congress in Manipur, Govindas Konthoujam has resigned as state party chief and eight party MLAs are set to quit and join the ruling BJP, sources told NDTV.
The sources said Govindas Konthoujam's resignation is yet to be accepted. There has been no official statement from the Congress on this subject. It is not yet clear if Mr Konthoujam will be joining the BJP along with the other MLAs.
State Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei, meanwhile, said party chief Sonia Gandhi is "well aware of the developments in the state" and has asked the Congress in-charge for Manipur to visit the state and meet party leaders.
"As per the direction of Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, AICC in-charge of Manipur, Shri Bhakta Charan Das ji, will arrive in Imphal by 9 AM tomorrow (Wednesday) to meet with senior leaders and other leaders of the party in Manipur," Mr Meitei tweeted on Tuesday.
"The Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, is well aware of the developments in the state, and she is deeply concerned for the future of better Manipur," he added.
Govindas Konthoujam has been elected MLA six times in a row from Bishnupur assembly constituency and is also the chief whip of the Congress Legislature Party. A former state cabinet minister, he was appointed chief of the state Congress unit in December last year.
The crisis for the Congress assumes significance when seen in the light of the composition of the Manipur Assembly.
In the 2017 assembly polls, it is the Congress that emerged as the single largest party, winning 28 out of the 60 seats. The BJP, however, was able to cobble up numbers and form a coalition government.
Manipur goes to polls early next year.
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