NPP legislators stay away from executive meet

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 9: In what could be seen as a clear indication of a widening rift within NPP Manipur unit, all its seven legislators stayed away from the party’s State executive meeting held today.
With NPP National vice-president Yumnam Joykumar in the chair, the NPP State executive committee held a meeting at the party’s Uripok Naorem-thong office at 10 am today.
The meeting resolved to seek an explanation on why the NPP National executive committee meeting scheduled on October 5 at New Delhi was postponed, whether it would be cancelled altogether or held later, and if yes, when it will be held.
The resolution was later sent to NPP National president Conrad K Sangma.
Notably, the meeting scheduled at New Delhi which was deferred later was supposed to take a decision on whether the NPP should keep on supporting the BJP Government or withdraw its support.
The State executive committee held today was attended by former Minister Yumkham Erabot, former Minister Ningthoujam Mangi, former MLA Soibam Sobhachandra and many other executive committee members.
Although the meeting was held with due consent of NPP State president N Kayisii, he was not present at the meeting as he is currently in Mumbai for medical treatment.
Kshetrigao AC MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan was also absent as he is currently at Delhi for medical reasons.
Nonetheless, they sent letters expressing their inability to join the meeting even though they wished to, sources said.
The other five NPP MLAs are in the State but they stayed away from the meeting. They too sent letters to the NPP Manipur unit president and National vice-president Y Joykumar giving reasons for staying away from the meeting.
The five MLAs contended that they could not attend the meeting as the meeting was held without the consent of NPP National president Conrad K Sangma, said the sources.
The NPP State executive committee meeting deliberated on the violent crisis which erupted on May 3, 2023 and the Government’s failure to work out a solution to the crisis.
The meeting also deliberated on the possibility of NPP forfeiting people’s faith and expectations if the party goes on supporting the incumbent BJP led Government.
The meeting further discussed on how the party can perform better in the next State Assembly election.
Noting that the people of Manipur have lost all faith in BJP as reflected in the results of the last Lok Sabha election, the meeting deliberated on avoiding a similar fate from befalling upon NPP, the sources said.
Earlier, the NPP State executive committee held a meeting at Hotel Radisson Blu, Guwahati on September 27 with Conrad Sangma in the chair.
The meeting deliberated on whether the NPP should keep on supporting the BJP Government or withdraw its support.
The meeting was participated by most of the NPP MLAs of Manipur but it could not take any concrete decision as a sharp difference of opinion emerged among the NPP State executive committee members.  
Conrad Sangma closed the meeting with an announcement that a meeting of NPP National executive committee would be held at Delhi on October 5 to decide the matter but the proposed meeting was later deferred indefinitely.