Delhi to pick Koijam team

IMPHAL, February 18: Finally it will be the central leadership which decides who is inducted in to the Radhabinod Koijam government. Senior leaders including Koijam, Speaker Sapam Dhananjoy, Union minister for food processing Th. Chaoba, MPP president O Joy Singh, Col H Bhubon BJP MLA, M Bhorot, BJP state president and FPM president Ganmumei Kamei rushed to New Delhi today to settle the matter after the seven-party People's Front fail to settle the power sharing configuration amicably. Koijam had submitted a list of 33 prospective ministers to the Governor for swearing in yesterday. However, the swearing had reportedly been cancelled after partners objected to the list which according to them have not been made with their consultation. Later in the evening, a meeting of the core committee of the front was called. But the marathon meeting of the coalition partners failed to solve the problem. Union Minister for states Th.Chaoba objected to taking the matter to New Delhi. He also reportedly objected to inclusion of any MLA declared unattached following their expulsion from the MSCP by him in his capacity as the working president. This followed the rejection of the Nipamacha camp to his overtures for reconciliation. Nipamacha Singh instead expelled the eight MSCP legislators led by the former youth affairs minister, Hemanta Singh. The eight had deserted the Nipamacha camp in a crucial moment paving way for emergence of the Koijam government. The main hurdle in expansion seems to be inclusion of few MLAs from Nipamacha camp. Koijam will have to include them because of the brief alliance he struck with it in a bid to be the leader of the Opposition group. The central leadership is expected to solve the problem by 20 February and the expansion is slated on 21 February. Koijam said the size of the ministry would be 30 plus but did not specify the number. He also did not say if he would submit the same list of 33 MLAs. Asked if the so-called "tainted" MLAs will be in his ministry, he said "we have discuss certain points with our central leadership."