Pressure mounts on CM ahead of downsizing

Imphal, June 28: Even as the deadline for the Ministry downsizing is nearing, Chief Minister O Ibobi has come increasingly under immense pressure ahead of the impending pruning of his jumbo sized Ministry. According to information received from reliable sources, the earlier model worked out by the SPF for the downsizing may undergo some marked changes and even as these changes are being worked out, immense pressure has been mounted on the Chief Minister. As per the earlier model worked out tentatively, the downsizing was to be effected district wise with nine senior Cabinet Ministers to represent each district. The remaining three were to be distributed to the CPI, Minority, Sadar Hills and women representative. A prominent member of the Congress informed The Sangai Express that the new arrangement may see eight Ministers from the valley area, including the Chief Minister and four from the hill districts. Of the eight Ministers from the valley area, one may be reserved for the minority community, one for women and one, of course, for the Chief Minister. The remaining five ‘vacancies’ may be distributed to the Minister in charge of Imphal East, Th Debendra, Minister in charge of Bishnupur district, K Govindas and Imphal West Minister in charge L Nandakumar. The remaining two may be given to the CPI and the MSCP. The source further said that the CPI, which has been eyeing one Ministerial berth has now started indicating that it wants two berths as it is the second largest constituent member with 5 MLAs. Towards this, CPI leader AB Bardhan has met Sonia Gandhi to present the case of the party, added the source. However Chief Minister O Ibobi is keen to see that both the MSCP and the CPI are accommodated in the Ministry with one berth each. MSCP president M Hemanta, who is presently at New Delhi informed The Sangai Express that his party is confident that at least one of its two MLAs will find a place in the Ministry. MSCP MLA Vivek Raj Wangkhem is also presently at Delhi along with Hemanta. Even as Bardhan has jumped into the fray to pressurize the AICC high command, its State Control Commission chairman M Ibohal MoS for IFCD Th Tomba were recently at New Delhi to lobby for the party. They returned yesterday. If the demand of the CPI is not met, then there is high possibility of the Communist party withdrawing from the Government and instead extend outside support. The scenario in the hill districts has also posed a headache to the Chief Minister as he has to accommodate four Ministers out of the six Ministers in charge of the hills. If the hill areas are to get only four berths then it will have to be a toss up amongst Phungzathang Tonsing (CCpur), Gaikhangam (Tamenglong), DK Korungthang (Chandel), A Aza (Ukhrul), RK Theko (Senapati) and Ngamthang Haokip (Sadar Hills). If only four Ministerial berths are allotted to the hills, then a hue and cry may be raised as one or two hill districts (including Sadar Hills) will not be represented in the Council of Ministers. The new model has met with stiff resistance from some quarters as reservations for women, minority, CPI and MSCP will mean that a district in the valley area may have more than one Minister representing them, informed the source. Adding to the headache of the Chief Minister is the immense pressure mounted by some Congress MLAs to retain them in the Ministry when the downsizing comes into force. At the moment there are 11 Ministers camping at New Delhi to present their case to the AICC high command. Deputy Speaker L Lala, general secretary of MPCC (I) Kh Loken and former Minister M Oken are also at Delhi.