EC to hold MSCP case hearing on April 17

IMPHAL, April 12: The leader of a faction of the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP), T Chaoba Singh said the Election Commission will hold a hearing on April 17 to settle the issue arising out of a division within the party. Chaoba, who is also the Union Minister of State for Food Processing hoped that the verdict of the Election Commission will be announced promptly to enable the party file nomination papers for the Kshetrigao Assembly by-election. Soon after his arrival in Imphal today Chaoba told this reporter that of the 31 MSCP legislators excluding Thangminlien and Speaker, 19 MLAs have submitted their affidavits saying that he is the president of the party. In response to a question Chaoba said in view of the uncertainty over party symbol his group is yet to take a final decision on contesting the Assembly by-election. He added that the Samata Party has requested the MSCP not to field any candidate this time. Referring to the talk of having a political crisis in the People's Front Ministry, Chaoba said BJP is presently facing a problem due to the prevailing situation at the Centre. Moreover, the national leaders are not giving any attention to the State as the Opposition parties have been planning to grill the Union Government in the forthcoming Parliament session which begins on April 16, he added. Comparing Radhabinod led PF Government with that of the previous UF Government led by Nipamacha, Chaoba said that the former has its authority in its leadership which the latter did not have. However, the life of the present Ministry depends on Radhabinod's leadership qualities and also on the MLAs. He, however, added that the preset Government will fall on its own if it was only dreaming of paying salaries to the employees with only the Plan-money without giving its attention to resource mobilisation, Chaoba said the Centre will not give any more financial assistance if State's revenue collection is not enhanced. He said that the amount of the State's Plan-money is far less than the amount of current overdraft and repayable loans. The Centre has now stopped releasing any more money for its schemes as the State has failed to submit the utilisation certificates for earlier schemes.