IT News
Imphal, March 20:
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union law minister Kiren Rijiju – the BJP observers for the ‘election’ and Union cabinet minister Bhupendra Yadav arrive in Imphal at 11:30 am today.
Top frontrunners for the CM post, Caretaker CM N Biren Singh, BJP stalwart Th Biswajit Singh, and former Speaker Y Khemchand, visited Delhi yesterday. All three who had a meeting with the home minister at New Delhi last night are on the same flight with the national leaders that took off from Delhi airport at 9:30 am.
Upon arrival in Imphal, the observers will hold a crucial meeting with the newly-elected BJP MLAs at 3 pm and announce the legislature wing leader who will also be the Chief Minister of the State by 4: 30 pm, a highly placed source told the Imphal Times, adding that the swearing-in ceremony would be held after the Holy festival.
On Saturday, caretaker CM N Biren Singh, Th. Biswajit Singh and Y Khemchand had a 40-minute-long meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter’s official residence at Krishna Menon Lane at 10:15 pm.
The BJP kept mum on the announcement of the Chief Minister of the Manipur even after clinching the absolute majority and after ten days of declaration of result, indicating the selection of a new face for the Chief Minister post.
Biren and Biswajit, on multiple occasions, rubbish the report of forming groups among the BJP MLAs despite multiple media reports brewing the speculations. However, with the sudden call to Delhi to convene a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah at late night and the visit of much-awaited observers, the speculations will end today.