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Koijam government faces fresh trouble

The beleaguered Radhabinod Koijam ministry faced fresh trouble on Monday with five ministers of the Manipur State Congress Party (Chaoba faction) resigning and five legislators of that party deciding to vote against the motion of confidence in the assembly even as the Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to issue a whip in support of the government.

Ahead of the assembly meeting to discuss the motion of confidence, the five ministers -- Horticulture Minister M Hemanta Singh, Rural Development Minister Th Bira Singh, Social Welfare Minister Songchinkhup, Fisheries Minister S Bira and Revenue Minister Sanayaima Singh -- resigned.

The Samata Party, a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, has said it will review its participation in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government if the BJP does not support Chief Minister Koijam.

The ten MSCP-Chaoba members, including five MLAs, have decided to vote against the motion as the BJP has not given any directive to its state leadership to issue a whip to party MLAs in the state, a spokesman of the MSCP-Chaoba said.

"Since the major partner of the National Democratic Alliance did not want to support the Samata Party-led Manipur ministry, we also decided to follow the footsteps of the BJP," he said, adding that the decision was taken on Monday morning.

He said Agriculture Minister Thangminlien Kipgen, who had been disqualified from membership of the House, has also tendered his resignation from the Koijam ministry and was likely to attend the House since his resignation has not yet been accepted.

Kipgen, however, has earlier been debarred from voting in the House.

PTI

EARLIER REPORTS:
Samata wants BJP to issue whip for Manipur vote
Samata to reconsider participation in NDA government

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