Imphal, May 11: It will be a roller-coaster ride for Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh when he implements the new anti-defection legislation, which limits the size of ministries. According to the new law, the size of the Manipur ministry would be limited to only 12 members. The deadline for implementing this is July 7.
At the moment, the Secular Progressive Front (SPF) ministry has a total of 33 ministers, of whom 25 are of cabinet rank. The CPI, the other partner in the coalition, has five members and all of them are ministers — three of them of cabinet rank.
Ibobi Singh is well aware that dropping such a large number of ministers would be very difficult. Hence, he is not in much of a hurry. Instead, he has adopted a policy of waiting and watching what the neighbouring states in the Northeast do.
Works minister Gaikhangam, who is also the spokesman for the SPF government, said as much when he declared that the downsizing would take place only when “it is absolutely necessary.”
The SPF government will first observe how things turn out in the neighbouring small states, the spokesman said.
The reason for deferring the inevitable is that Ibobi Singh and his loyalists are sure that there would be trouble galore once the downsizing is effected. Those unwilling to be “dropped” are reportedly suggesting that the Congress should part ways with its partner, the CPI, to make the chief minister’s job easier. Sources said the chief minister is keeping the option with regard to the CPI open.
Recently, some ministers loyal to Ibobi Singh offered to resign en masse to give him a free hand in choosing the lucky 12 and make his task easier. However, Ibobi Singh turned down the offer, advising them, “Let us wait and watch.”
Sources said Ibobi Singh is annoyed with charges by the CPI that the Congress and other parties had indulged in electoral malpractices in the parliamentary elections.
The Congress has a wafer-thin majority of 33 in a House of 60 members. But party ministers insist since the new legislation prevents floor-crossing, the Congress alone could ensure a stable government.
But for Ibobi Singh, solving the CPI problem will not end his woes. There are disgruntled legislators within the Congress itself who would not hesitate to launch a campaign for a change of guard within the party itself.
The chief minister is reportedly searching for political posts for rehabilitating ministers likely to be dropped.
The CPI has already made it clear that it was ready to drop three of its five ministers. Food and civil supplies minister Ph. Parijat Singh said his party would welcome it if the Congress decided to part ways with the CPI. He, however, added that given the present political situation, it was unlikely that the Congress would take a decision to go it alone.