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Rishang Keishing seeks Kesri's aid to quash revolt

Manipur Chief Minister Rishang Keishing, who is now facing the threat of a possible ouster by his own party members, today airdashed to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral and Congress President Sitaram Kesri.

The beleaguered chief minister, before flying to New Delhi, met Governor O N Srivastava at Raj Bhavan earlier in the day. Keishing had a long discussion with the governor at a closed-door meeting. Details of the meeting were not available.

Keishing is expected to meet the prime minister, Union home minister Indrajit Gupta and Congress chief Sitaram Kesri this evening and report the latest political situation in his state to them.

Meanwhile, Manipur Speaker W Nipamacha Singh, who is heading a revolt against Keishing, today demanded the chief minister's resignation claiming he was no longer the leader of the Congress Legislature Party.

Singh told reporters he had the support of 22 of the 34 Congress legislators to become the CLP leader, besides the backing of 20 opposition MLAs in the 60-member House to head a Congress-led coalition government in the state.

The rebel leader however said he would not go to New Delhi to convince the Congress high command about his candidature for chief ministership. He said the present crisis was sparked by the inefficiency of Keishing and could be settled in Manipur rather than in the capital.

He claimed that all 15 ministers who resigned from the Keishing ministry recently had submitted their resignation letters to Congress observer Pawan Singh Ghatowar. Ghatowar, who had come to take stock of the situation, also left for New Delhi today. Ghatowar is expected to submit a report to Kesri this evening.

In a new development, Congress legislator A K Langam today withdrew his support to the speaker as the new CLP leader. In a statement Langam said he was returning his support "as endorsing Singh would serve no good for the people".

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