Imphal: Manipur unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly refuted speculative reports of a BJP and Congress MLAs group preparing to form a new government in the state, that have emerged in the news and social media platforms.
“The reports are baseless and unfounded,” said the Manipur unit of BJP.
In a press release issued on Thursday, Manipur BJP general secretary L. Deben Singh stated, “The BJP strongly condemns the spread of such unfounded news and cautions against repeating it in the future. All BJP legislators continue to remain with the party, and under no circumstances will the BJP form a government in alliance with the Congress.” The party also urged media outlets and individuals not to misuse the right to freedom of speech by circulating unverified information that could further escalate tensions in the region. “Such rumours are irresponsible and have the potential to worsen the situation in Manipur,” the statement said.
The clarification came amid publication of speculation reports suggesting that some BJP MLAs, in coordination with Congress legislators, may come together to stake a claim to form a new government. These rumours came around after the recent visit of the BJP North East in-charge, Sambit Patra, who met with the Assembly Speaker Th. Satyabrata, former chief minister N. Biren Singh, and several Kuki-Zo MLAs including Nemcha Kipgen.
Twenty-one MLAs from various parties recently urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and facilitate the formation of a new government. One of the MLAs had warned that they might proceed independently to stake a claim if no steps are taken by May. Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13 after N. Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister of Manipur on February 9.
