MSCP merger put on hold

Imphal, May 26: The proposed merger of the MSCP to the Congress seems to have been shelved for the moment with the Congress leaders returning to Imphal today without finalizing the issue with the AICC. Rajya Sabha MP Rishang Keishing and Chief Minister O Ibobi along with other party leaders returned this evening. But a final agreement on the merger has been eluding the SPF partners. MSCP leaders including Th Chaoba are still in Delhi. One Congress leader who returned from Delhi today told The Sangai Express that the merger could not be finalized even though it was discussed with AICC president Sonia Gandhi yesterday. He said the MSCP leaders pressed Sonia to give her consent to the merger citing the difficulties the party is facing at the moment. On the other hand, the Congress leaders objected to the merger saying the merger of MSCP along with Th Chaoba could create problems in the Congress organization. The Congress leaders returned to Imphal as the Congress high command failed to give a clear cut decision on the matter and expressed its desire to end the issue in Imphal itself, he said. The Congress leader further said though MP Rishang Keishing had been pressing for allowing the merger all along other prominent members including Chief Minister O Ibobi and CLP members have been objecting the move. Dissension is rising within the Congress on the issue, he said. The MSCP legislature group had decided to withdraw from the SPF Govt if the merger was disallowed though it has not done so for the moment.