By – Thoungamba Managang
The Chief Minister is the most powerful functionary of a state government as being the head of the state council of Minister taking him or her as the real executive head. Taking reference to the Constitution of India, the Chief Minister is, in practice, appointed by the Governor but not in his own choice. He is to formally appoint the Chief Minister only when an MLA is elected as leader by the political party or coalition group that come up as secured majority after the state assembly election and communicate to him as their elected leader. The Chief Minister is so powerful that he can be dismissed by the Governor only when he loses majority support.
The question is that can an imperfection of a Chief Minister of a state is the fault of people when he is to be elected by the M.L.A.’s elected through adult franchise in the state assembly election by the people of respective constituencies ? Definitely not, because a Chief Minister is directly elected by the representatives of people i.e. the M.L.A.s not directly by the eligible citizens. Voters elected M.L.A.’s , the elected M.L.A.’s of the Party or the Coalition of Parties elected the leader as the Chief Minister and communicated to the Governor who formally declare his as the Chief Minister of the state.
Manipur became full-fledged state of India in 1972 and the powerful state assembly was instituted through adult franchise with people’s representatives. Starting from the 20th March,2017 the state of Manipur has been ruled by chief ministers of absolute majority of political party or collision majority parties. To mention them all, Alimuddin ( Meitei Pangal) of MPP from 20-03-1972 to 28-03-1973 and from 04-03-1974 to 08-0701974; Yangmasho Saiza of U.D.F. from 10-07-1974 to 05-12-1974; R.K. Dorendro Singh of Congress from 06-12-1974 to 13-05-1977, Yangmasho Saiza of U.D.F. from 29-06-1977 to 1979; R.K. Dorendro of Congress from 14-01-1980 to 26-11-1980; Rishang Keishing of Congress from 27-11-1980 to 28-02-1981, from 19-06-1981 to 28-02-1985, from 04-01-1985 to 04-03-1988; R.K. Dorendro Singh of Congress-I from 04-03-1988 to 17-02-1990; R.K. Ranbir of U.L.F. from 23-02-1990 to 07-01-1992; R.K. Dorendro of Congress-I from 08-04-1992 to 31-12-1993; Rishang Keishing of Congress-I from 13-12-1994 to 24-02-1995; W. Nipamacha of M.S.C.P. from 16-12-1997 to 13- 02- 2001; Radhabinod Koijam of People’s Front from 15-02-2001 to 21-05-2001; Okram Ibobi Congress led S.P.F. from 07-03-2002 to 2016 and N. Biren Singh of B.J.P. from 2017 to 2021.
From the above, it is known that the Indian National Congress simply known as Congress has been ruling India in the longest period but even though a few personalities of international repute had been born , many of the leaders of later generation were unaccountable to the people of India and similar situation were seen in the state of Manipur too. This was why the Congress governance has been dwindling away from the soils of India including Manipur. Manipur during the period of Congress ruling was down to nadir inflicted with all social ailments and so the people experienced at extreme degrees of unruliness on all fronts like what we popularly call as fake encounter, economic blockades, third-degree torture, combing operation, unemployment and price-hikes etc. Why the Chief Minister is so important is for reasons that he is empowered for formation of the Council of Ministers, distribution and Change of of Portfolios (Departments) among Ministers, working as Chairman of the Council of Minister, the main communicator between the Governor and the government’s council of ministers etc.
Because of the lack of leadership qualities, the past Congress governments committed a lot of mistakes and indulges into many malpractices against the wills and wishes of the public and thereby left out themselves as political satans. The BJP led government came into Manipur in 2017 as alternative way of life of the people of Manipur with high hopes and aspirations. Here, it is the fact that one Mr. Biswajit Singh a young and dynamic M.L.A. which brought up the BJP party as lone soldier sacrificed all his rights of leadership and shouldered to form N. Biren led BJP government in the state and so facilitated to get rid of the anarchy of the Congress. He though abandoned leadership position took major roles in the Biren’s Council of Ministers holding the ever largest number of portfolios and by skillfully administering all the assigned departments in his best capacities bestowing best performances to the satisfactions of the people and thus endowed a good BJP government. But it is also not exaggeration that there happened some unwanted situations during the mid period of the bygone government such as misunderstandings between the leader and the council of ministers, hard-handling upon the people’s rights of expressions, absence of lasting policies and programme that seemed the government completed its full term only because of the people’s liking not to repeat or return the past Congress led governance.
It all shows that choosing a right leader of the council of minister is the foremost duty of all the newly elected people’s representatives. People can no longer be blamed for choosing a leader of government as they have rightfully chosen their representatives as MLA’s who have all the rights to choose their right leader as Chief Minister of the state. Today, the results of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly will be out and the single largest party or the coalition parties will form a new government in the shortest possible period. Here comes the important roles of the MLAs of the single largest party or the coalition parties towards choosing their right leader. It is time for choosing a young and dynamic leader who knows the pulses of all sections of the society and the interests of all communities so as to making a progressive Manipuri society that moves on in accordance with the advantages of the fast changing global scenarios but with safeguarding the aged old traditional values of the state. Let new lotus bloom for a stable government of the people and for the peolpe and by the people of Manipur.
