Imphal, July 14: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh is yet to re-allocate portfolios even 10 days after the ministry downsizing because of squabbling over plum posts. All the 30 ministers resigned on the advice of the chief minister on July 4, a day after he returned from New Delhi after AICC president Sonia Gandhi approved the list of 11 ministers to be retained.
Ibobi Singh accepted the resignation of 19 of them and the list was forwarded to governor Arvind Dave the next day with his recommendations. The governor did not lose any time in accepting the recommendations.
The chief minister accepted the demand by its ally, the CPI, and retained two of the five ministers, while no one was inducted from the third partner, the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP), which has two legislators. After the pruning, which triggered dissent among the Congress workers, the chief minister left for New Delhi to consult Sonia Gandhi on the re-allocation of portfolios.
He returned to the state capital on Saturday, but is still hesitant as some of the senior ministers have objected to the changes.
After the resignation of higher and technical education minister Thokchom Meinya Singh when he was elected to the Lok Sabha, Ibobi Singh is now in charge of the all the departments held by the 20 ministers in addition to his own home and finance portfolios. The CPI has told the chief minister that the party would not accept any portfolio unless the changes are discussed beforehand.
While the CPI wants food and civil supplies divested from its minister Pheiroijam Parijat Singh, the party wants no change in the portfolio of the other CPI minister. Ningthoujam Mangi Singh is in charge of irrigation and flood control.
Sources said Ibobi Singh wanted the power portfolio from Phungjathang Tonsing, one of the senior most Congress ministers, to be re-allocated.
However, Tonsing is not only unwilling to part with his portfolio, he is also demanding some more ?good? ones. Public works minister Gaikhangam has also objected to the re-allocation.