Lone JDU MLA in Manipur withdraws support to BJP govt, party expels
HimanshuBiren Singh, the chief of the JDU unit of Manipur, has written a letter to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla informing him of the development.
In a surprise development, the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) has withdrawn support from the N Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur and its lone MLA will sit on the Opposition benches.
Though the development will have no impact on the stability of the government, it is a strong message as the JDU is a key ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Bihar. The development comes months after the Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party withdrew support from the Biren Singh government, which is in power in Meghalaya.
The JDU won six seats in the 2022 assembly elections in Manipur, but five MLAs joined the BJP a few months after the election, strengthening the ruling party’s numbers. The BJP currently has 37 MLAs in the 60-member assembly. It has the support of five Naga People’s Front MLAs and three independent MLAs, giving it a comfortable majority. Manipur JDU unit chief K.S. Biren Singh has written a letter to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla informing him of the development. In the assembly elections held in Manipur in February/March, 2022, six candidates fielded by the Janata Dal (United) were returned.
After a few months, five MLAs of the Janata Dal (United) joined the BJP. The case against the five MLAs is pending in the Speaker’s tribunal under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. After the Janata Dal (United) became part of the Bharat Bloc, the Janata Dal (United) withdrew support to the BJP-led government by informing the Hon’ble Governor, Leader of the House (Chief Minister) and the Speaker’s office. “Thus, the lone Janata Dal (United) MLA in Manipur, Mohammed Abdul Nasir, was made to sit on the Opposition benches by the Speaker in the last session of the Assembly,” the letter said.
It further said, “It is hereby reiterated that the Janata Dal (United), Manipur unit does not support the BJP-led state government in Manipur, and our lone MLA, Mohammed Abdul Nasir, will be treated as an Opposition MLA in the House.” Nitish Kumar’s JDU, which won 12 seats in this year’s general election, is among the key allies whose support helped the BJP reach the majority mark after a drop in its tally this time. The BJP and JDU are also allies in Bihar, where assembly elections are due this year. JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, known for his ups and downs amid political divide, returned to the NDA fold last year after he was one of the key players in India’s opposition bloc.
