Manipur party heads for vertical split

IMPHAL, March 24: The crisis in the Manipur State Congress Party worsened today, with a faction of the party electing Union minister of state for food processing Thounaojam Chaoba Singh as its new president. With this development, the MSCP seems to be heading for a vertical split as the other faction led by former Chief Minister W. Nipamacha Singh has claimed that he was re-elected party president on March 14. After his election, Chaoba Singh today launched a tirade against the previous government led by Nipamacha Singh for landing the state in a financial crisis. The minister claimed that his group was the real MSCP and promised to produce a list of MLAs supporting him soon. Chaoba Singh loyalists said Nipamacha Singh has not conducted any party election on March 14 and added that today's election was the first the MSCP has had since its inception. The crisis in the MSCP is bound to affect the one-month-old Radhabinod Koijam-led People's Front government. The MSCP's strength in the Assembly is 31, but it is not clear who is supporting which faction. Chaoba Singh was the only leader who filed nomination papers for the presidentship of his faction today. He was declared elected unopposed as no other candidate was in the fray. Though the election was scheduled to be held at the state guest house, the Imphal West district administration cancelled the permission to use the guest house this morning fearing trouble between the two factions. The venue was then shifted. The main office of the party has, however, been closed down by the district administration since February after Nipamacha Singh and Chaoba Singh expelled each other from the party. While Nipamacha Singh was the party president, Chaoba Singh was the working president. The rivalry between the two had led to the fall of the MSCP-led government. The MSCP office is still under prohibitory orders. Both Nipamacha Singh and Chaoba Singh, however, are still in the ruling People's Front. Chaoba Singh has the edge as Speaker Sapam Dhananjoy, a prominent MSCP leader, is siding with him. The Speaker had declared Nipamacha and six of his supporters unattached members in the House though the order has been stayed by Guwahati High Court. A legal battle has already started between the two factions. Even as Chaoba Singh was elected president unopposed, the spokesman for the MSCP (Nipamacha), S. Tombinou Singh, claimed that Nipamacha was the rightful president of the party. The Election Commission had directed the MSCP to hold its organisational polls by April this year. Sources said both factions have sent notices to the Election Commission giving details about their respective elections.