THE ruling Secular Progressive Front (SPF) has tightened the security around the ongoing camp of the Ministers and the Legislators inside the Chief Minister’s bunglowin Imphal to avert defection to the  Opposition camp. Works Minister and spokesperson of the SPF Gaikhangam charged the Opposition Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) with trying to “pull down’’ the government by inciting “communal’’ feelings. The strategy of the Opposition to topple the government would not succeed, he added. Meanwhile, Manipur Assembly Speaker T. N. Haokip visited New Delhi along with a few Ministers apparently to deliberate on matters regarding the anti-defection amendment bill with Lok Sabha Speaker Monohar Joshi.

 Mr. Haokip stated that he  highlighted the problems, which were most likely to arise due to the reduction in the size of the Ministries of the North-Eastern states by the new bill to the Lok Sabha Speaker. But in a hectic political maneuvering to prevent defection, Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh recently packed off 12 ministers, including the Assembly Speaker, to Kolkata to foil the opposition Democratic Peoples Alliance’s (DPA) attempt to dislodge his Secular Progressive Front (SPF) government. Speaker T N Haokip was escorted by a cabinet minister up to Kolkata where he was received by another cabinet minister who stayed =9039878711there at an undisclosed hotel. The Speaker and another minister had put up a brief halt at the Manipur Bhawan and then proceeded for an unknown destination.

The DPA, led by the BJP, has been holding a series of meetings to chalk out strageties to foil the efforts of the Chief Minister to save his Ministry before enacting the anti-defection bill, which was passed by both the houses of the parliament. Former Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Lok Sabha

BJP MP Thounaojam Chaoba alleged that Manipur’s condition would deteriorate if the Congress-led SPF government remained in power after the enforcement of the new anti-defection law. Mr Chaoba said the economic condition of the state has “worsened’’ under the SPF government because of misutilisation of government money and the state is heading towards a financial crisis. “Chief Minister O Ibobi is inviting President’s Rule by keeping all the SPF Ministers under virtual house arrest while totally neglecting the administration of the State,” alleges former chief minister R. K. Dorendra Singh. The DPA leader said that the Government instead of trying to olve the employees’ strike is intent on sticking to power by keeping all the Ministers under virtual house arrest which has paralysed the functioning of the Government. The opening of the camp at the CM’s bungalow is ample testimony that Ibobi no loner trusts his Ministers and the Ministers now no longer have any confidence in his leadership, said Dorendra.

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