Perhaps it is too early to make any comment regarding the whirling pool going on to the scenario of Manipur politics. The congress under the leadership of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had succeeded to win the heard of the majority people of the state popularising the Indian National Congress until the time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the BJP hold the office some 7 months back. With the rise of the BJP across the nation and the congress party losing all hopes with its major defeat by not able to get the number require to claim the status of the opposition leader in the Lok Sabha. This has brought a major impact to the political scenario of the state. The state BJP unit which was very unpopular until the last Lok Sabha Election now has become the talk of the state. Every single day there is report about the entry of new figure to the party. Even there is a report about a big race among the cadres of the BJP struggling to hold the top post at which former MP Thounoajam Chaoba is presently occupying. Some of the BJP hard core are showing strong opposition to the Chaoba leadership in the state and some leaders of the BJP had been doing every bit of thing to replace Chaoba. Even there are reports about these people going to centre and lobby their leaders. The tussle inside the party and the entry of more political figure to the state BJP unit shows that the party is gaining height in this state where the BJP failed to secure even a single seat in the state Assembly and also at both the Outer and inner Manipur Parliamentary constitution.
Now the interesting part is that there are rumours about some of the congress MLAs, who are not satisfied with the attitude of the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, had allegedly approached the state unit BJP requesting for a status to the party. Unconfirmed report even says that the Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh too had shown his desires to change his party to the BJP. A source said that he even sent one of his close associate at Nagpur to meet some of the top BJP leader for seeing possibility of changing to the new emerging party, as he too seem to have lost faith to his own party. Besides, there are also unconfirmed report about some of the MLAs and Ministers preparing secure passage for entry to the BJP.
The trending phenomenon shows that in the upcoming assembly election of the Manipur state Legislative Assembly there is likely that BJP will replace the congress in the state too.
One thing, Imphal Times would like to remind is that, When BJP win a sweeping majority in the last Parliamentary election people across the country including Manipur have hope of some changes in the country’s governance. And Narendra Modi had proved himself to be the man of the people’s expectation in just 7 months. Imphal Times had earlier focus at some of the initiatives being taken up by this leader.
Now when it comes to the state Manipur, it is not sure on imagining the situation even though the BJP comes to power. This is suggested because it will be the same wine in a different bottle, for the party is likely to put up the same tasted candidates with a different party. This is expected because nothing innovative is seen taken up by the state unit BJP leaders for those new faces in politics who wanted to make a difference.
