Chaoba move to unite MSCP, Nipamacha rejects feelers

IMPHAL, February 19: The working president of Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) and Union Minister of State for Food Processing, Thounaojam Chaoba has called upon the MSCP factions for re-union with a view to strengthen the party. Sources told The Assam Tribune that the MSCP Chaoba group had even sent a proposal to the Nipamacha group to merge the two factions. However, the Nipamacha faction rejected the proposal. Announcing this at a press conference, Union Minister Chaoba said a decision to try and bring about a reunion of the MSCP factions was taken in an exhaustive meeting of the 23 members of the MSCP. Sources revealed that the leader of the BJP legislators and former Chief Minister RK Dorendro Singh and another senior BJP leader were also present at the meeting. Chaoba informed this Correspondent that before arriving at the decision, he had a telephonic conversation with the former Deputy Chief Minister Leishangthem Chandramani in this regard, and added that Chandramani also felt that the factions should join hands. On being, asked whether he had talks with the party president and former Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh as well, Chaoba replied that he thought it was not polite on his part to broach the issue as Nipamacha was senior to him. The Union Minister, however, added that feelers had been sent to the party president before the meeting arrived at its confidence resolution. Exhuding confidence, the working president of MSCP said : "The MSCP MLAs have also discussed the reunions proposal" and added that once , it materialised, all the 31 MLAs of the MSCP will work together.