MSCP demands pound of flesh

Imphal, June 15: Even as Chief Minister O Ibobi is wracking his minds over the downsizing move to be effected by July 7, its partner the MSCP, which has two MLAs, has begun exerting pressure on the Chief Minister to include one of its MLAs in the Council of Minister when the down sizing is effected. Disclosing this to The Sangai Express a prominent member of the Congress said that the MSCP has recently submitted a written intimation to the president of MPCC (I), to accommodate one of the two MSCP MLAs in the Council of Ministers. Chief Minister O Ibobi is also the president of the MPCC (I). The MSCP has two MLAs in the Assembly, Yumkham Erabot and Vivek Raj Wangkhem. The source said that the proposal of the MSCP may be discussed when the Steering Committee of the SPF meets. Though the MSCP has been extending its support to the SPF Government, it is not yet a member of the Steering Committee of the coalition front. Confirming the stand of the MSCP, MLA Y Erabot said that his party has approached the SPF to induct one of its MLAs in the Council of Ministers. Due pressure would be exerted, he added. The MSCP became a constituent member of the SPF on November 12, 2002 when Th Chaoba was its president and two of its MLAs, Y Erabot and Vivek Raj Wangkhem were inducted in the Ministry as the Minister of Higher Education and Minister of Social Welfare respectively. The two were however dropped on December 10 the same year. On that very day K Ranjit and DK Korungthang were inducted in the Council of Ministers. Meanwhile Chief Minister O Ibobi is likely to head for New Delhi on June 25 to meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the imminent down sizing. The Chief Minister is expected to highlight the pressure exerted from different quarters ahead of the down sizing and a final decision may be taken in consultation with the AICC high command, said a reliable source. Till date there has been no official intimation from the AICC on the down sizing move to be made the Chief Minister, said the source. The Chief Minister is likely to return either on June 27 or 28.