The National People’s Party withdrew its support to the BJP government in Manipur on Sunday, accusing Chief Minister N. Biren Singh of failing to restore normalcy in the strife-torn state.
The Conrad Sangma-led party, however, said on Thursday that it may reconsider its decision if the saffron party replaces the chief minister.
"CM Biren Singh has totally failed to bring normalcy to Manipur. That is the main reason for our national president (Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma) to withdraw support for it. In case Biren is replaced, there is a possibility that a new government might take the steps required to restore normalcy. The NPP may reconsider its position at that time," NPP national vice-president Yumnam Joykumar Singh told news agency PTI.
On Monday, a day after NPP announced its decision to withdraw support to the government, three MLAs of the party had attended a meeting of the ruling alliance chaired by the chief minister. Singh said the legislators might have attended the meeting because of confusion, adding that NPP is still part of the NDA.
“We have withdrawn support to the Biren Singh-led government but we are still NDA partners. However, we have cautioned our MLAs that attending such meetings without prior approval from the state or national president may lead to disciplinary actions," he said.
On the Centre’s decision to send an additional 50 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to the state in the wake of fresh violence, Singh, a former director general of police, said the state is already over-saturated with security forces and it is a question of how to utilise them effectively.
Fresh violence and protests rocked the northeastern state after bodies of six people, who were allegedly abducted and killed by militants in Jiribam district, were discovered.
The northeastern state has been witnessing widespread violence and protests over the past few days after bodies of six people, who were allegedly abducted and killed by militants in Jiribam district, were discovered.
In a letter to BJP national president J.P. Nadda on Sunday, the NPP alleged that the situation in Manipur further had deteriorated and many more innocent lives had been lost.
"We strongly feel that the Manipur state government under the leadership of Shri Biren Singh has completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy,” it said.
The NPP has seven MLAs in the 60-member assembly. The party’s withdrawal of support is unlikely to pose any immediate threat to the Biren Singh government as the ruling BJP has a comfortable majority in the house with 37 MLAs.