'Crisis' blows over as Ibobi convinces Steering Committee

Imphal, June 24: For the moment Chief Minister O Ibobi and his men can rest in peace as the 'post merger crisis' that had threatened to rock the boat of the Secular Progressive Front Government has blown over with the Steering Committee of the Front accepting the merger of the 11 MLAs with the Congress after a marathon meeting today. The Steering Committee meeting started at 3 pm and stretched on till 7.30 in the evening and was presided by MSCP president and co-chairman of the Steering Committee Th Chaoba. Along with granting cognizance to the merger of the 11 MLAs the meeting resolved to further consolidate and strengthen the coalition Government. The MLAs who merged with the Congress are K Govindas, Y Mani, Bijoy Koijam, Thangso Baite, Wungnaoshang Keishing (all MSCP), C Doungel, E Biramani, Radhakishore (all NCP) and L Lala, BK Korungthang, Manga Vaiphei (all Samata Party). The MSCP and the NCP were constituent partners of the SPF while the Samata Party is from the Opposition bloc. Explaining the reason and the factors behind the merger of the 11 MLAs with the Congress, Chief Minister O Ibobi said, "the merger was necessitated as there was the possibility that the 11 MLAs may join hands with other political parties outside the coalition Front if their proposal to merge with the Congress was not acceded. It was to save the coalition that the merger was effected." The Chief Minister also appealed to the Front partners not to take it to heart that, they were not consulted before hand. Ibobi further said that since the merger and split is within the coalition Front itself there, is no ground to suspect that it would weaken the SPF. After the reasoning and explanation put forth by the Chief Minister, the Steering Committee agreed to accept the merger of the MLAs with the Congress. Prior to the meeting the Secretary of the Steering Committee, Ph Parijat personally requested Rishang Keishing to attend the meeting but the Rajya Sabha MP, who recently resigned as the Chairman of the Committee, turned down the request. Apart from the Chief Minister, Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing represented the Congress at the meeting. The DPP was represented by its president Kh Mani and MLA Dr Th Meinya while the CPI was represented by Ph Parijat and M Ibohal. Th Chaoba was the lone representative from the MSCP while, its legislature wing leader Y Erabot chose to stay away. The meeting also agreed that no further splits and merger vithin the coalition Front should be encouraged in the future. The withdrawal of the NCP from the coalition also came up for minute discussion. Speaking to newsmen after the meeting MSCP president Th Chaoba said his party was not consulted at alt on the merger of its five MLAs with the Congress. He further said the MSCP decided to accept the merger as it was done with the stated objective of consolidating the SPF. "To the MSCP the primary objective is to install a stable Government. The number of MSCP MLAs is secondary to this," added Chaoba.