Keishing denies 'rift' story, says merger move is positive

Imphal, May 26: Reacting to the news published in this paper on May 25, veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Rishang Keishing today said that there is no question of any rift between him and Chief Minister O Ibobi over the merger issue of MSCP with the Congress. Minutes after he arrived from New Delhi today, the veteran Congress leader told The Sangai Express that the merger issue is to be decided by the AICC high command though the MPCC (I) members are at liberty to discuss the pros and cons of the issue. Rishang further said that no formal discussion over the merger issue has been taken up by the MPCC (I). The issue was also not taken up during the AICC session at Delhi as the session concentrated on larger and National based issues such as foreign policy, economic policy and the current volatile political situation in the country. The AICC session is not the appropriate platform to discuss the merger issue of any political party to the State unit of the Congress; he added reiterating that the reports in the newspapers were not correct. Opinion of the MPCC (I) may be sought by the AICC but the ultimate decision on the merger issue can only be taken by the party high command, he further said. He however admitted that there may be differing opinion on the merger question within the MPCC (I). Asked on his personal viewpoint, Rishang Keishing, during whose time Th Chaoba and Nipamacha effected a vertical split within the party and formed the MSCP, said the positive aspect of the merger outweighs the negative points. To justify his points, he said the merger of the MSCP with the Congress will only strengthen the base of the party as it will increase its party members. The strength of the Congress will go up from its present 18 MLAs to 25 if the MSCP comes into their fold, he observed. Rishang further said that the merger move will also strengthen the party at the grass root level and pointed out that three Municipal Councils are headed by the MSCP while another three Councils are headed by the MSCP-Congress combine. Moreover five Nagar Panchayats are headed by the MSCP, he added justifying his stand for merger even at grass root level. The merger, if it comes about, will not have adverse effect on the Secular Progressive Front coalition Government, Keishing maintained adding that on the contrary it will strengthen the coalition Government as the number of partners will become less and this can give more stability. No other constituent partners of the SPF have also aired their opinion on the merger proposal.