BJP has effectively the support of 23 members - 18 BJP MLAs, four NPF and one 1 LJP.(FILE)
At least nine legislators have decided to withdraw support from the BJP-led Biren Singh government in Manipur, which would rob it of majority in the state assembly, sources in the state Congress said. This will also lead to major trouble for the BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha election in the state, which will be held on June 19.
Among the nine MLAs who have decided to withdraw support are four from Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party or NPP. Among them are Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar Singh, cabinet ministers N Kayisii, L Jayanta Kumar Singh and Letpao Haokip, who have resigned from ministerial posts and withdrawn support to the government.
Three BJP MLAs -- S Subhashchandra Singh, TT Haokip and Samuel Jendai -- resigned from the party and joined the Congress on Wednesday in state capital Imphal.The three politicians have also resigned as MLAs to avoid anti defection law.
Apart from them, the lone Trinamool Congress MLA T Robindro Singh and Independent MLA Shahabuddin have also withdrawn support to the BJP, sources added.
The sudden instability in the government comes on the heels of the Manipur High Court's decision to bar the entry of the seven Congress MLAs who switched over to the BJP in 2017. They will not be able to vote in the Rajya Sabha polls.
Earlier Congress MLA Th. Shyamkumar Singh, who supported the BJP-led government and was made a cabinet minister, was disqualified. The disqualification petition of the seven other Congress turncoats is with the tribunal of Speaker Khemchand Singh.
In the 2017 Assembly polls, the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the 60 member assembly with 28 seats, the BJP got 21 seats. But the BJP was able to cobble numbers by getting support of four NPP, four NPF , one LJP, one TMC, one independent member and a Congress turncoat. After the formation of the Biren Singh government seven other Congress MLAs also lend support to it.
With the disqualification of Th. Shyamkumar Singh and seven other Congress MLAs' entry to the assembly barred by the court for the Rajya Sabha polls, the effective strength of the assembly has come done to 52.
The BJP has effectively the support of 23 members -- 18 BJP MLAs since three have resigned, four NPF and one 1 LJP member.
The Congress has 20 of its own --- one member has been disqualified and seven rebels barred. If it gets the support of the nine MLAs who withdrew support from the Biren Singh government, the Congress will have the support of 29 MLAs.