IMPHAL, April 13: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the former Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha and Thounaojam Chaoba who are making contrasting claims that the Manipur State Congress (MSCP) faction, headed by them is the real MSCP, to attend the hearing of the case on April 17 at the office of ECI at New Delhi. As a result, the ongoing factional dispute in the NSCP will be solved on the hearing date. It is also understood that the notice issued by the principal secretary of the Election Commission KJ Rao has instructed the two presidents of the MSCP to send their...

AGARTALA, April 13: The Agartala bench of the Guwahati High Court has terminated the services of eight panchayat extension officers recruited through the Tripura Public Service Commission in 1997. Justice BB Deb of the High Court also questioned the integrity commission's authorities who had made the appointments, when the case came up for hearing yesterday. According to the case details, advertisements were issued in 1995 in the CPM organ Daily Desherkatha, inviting applications for nine panchayat extension officers. Records showed that though 914 candidates applied for the post, the then...

GUWAHATI, April 13: The prospects of the AGP-BJP alliance may suffer because of the weakness of the State unit leaders of the BJP to maintain discipline in the party, said Chief Minister and AGP president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Talking to The Assam Tribune here today, Mahanta said that if the dissidence and the splits in the BJP cannot be prevented by the leaders of the party, the alliance would be affected in the ensuing polls and the very purpose of the alliance would be defeated. "The State BJP leaders should immediately settle the differences among the party rank and file if they are...

GUWAHATI, April 13: The Asom Gana Parishad and the BJP are working overtime to stem dissidence in their ranks. Three BJP trouble-shooters arrived here from New Delhi today to pacify party workers opposed to the "marriage of convenience" with the AGP. Chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, too, launched a damage-control exercise. But it failed to stop some prominent AGP legislators, including ministers, from joining the band of dissidents. Some of these AGP members even threatened to defect to the Congress. The cause of the rift in the AGP is the seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP...

AGARTALA, April 12: Tripura police have unearthed a racket in Sonamura subdivision in West Tripura district and Bangladesh, which was engaged not only in common criminal activities but also in passing information and providing shelter to militants. The startling disclosure was made by an arrested criminal Momin Mian of Sonamura (a village located on virtually an open Indo-Bangladesh border line) who was recently picked up by the police for alleged involvement with the ISI and NLFT militants. The arrest was made following recovery of some NLFT letters and seals declaring his name as an 'ISI...