EVER since he joined the BJP, capital’s grapevine worked overtime about his possible inclusion in the Union cabinet. His supporters argued that to ensure more representation from the Northeast in the cabinet, his inclusion in the Vajpayee team was just a formality. Yet, after three expansion, since joining the BJP, the MP from Inner Manipur still finds himself out of favour of the ruling mandarins.

There was heightened expectation in Chouba camp just before the last reshuffle. Maverick Didi Mamata Banerjee and the ‘money for transfer’ scam victim Gingee Ramachandran of MDMK regained their ministerial berths. Chouba remained on hold. He still awaits the all-elusive call from PMO and Rashtrapati Bhavan? Will it come before the elections scheduled in another few months? It is a wait, an endless wait, with patience painted all over. So near, yet so far - this is the Chouba syndrome, certainly not the envy of his bitter critics and staunch admirers alike. Many factors worked against him to keep him out from the Union cabinet. His pro-active role during the agitation against the Naga ceasefire extension  to Naga inhabited pockets of Manipur and other states of the North-East, is said to have annoyed the powers that be and promoted them to keep him in limbo according to some observers. During the agitation in full public view Chouba Singh held Centre’s emissary K.Padmanabhaiah responsible for the fiasco.

‘You are the creator’, he shouted at Mr. Padmanabhiah at a meeting between the Centre and the Manipuri leaders. His attitude had not gone down well with the political mandarins. Even Prime Minister was peeved, according to the informed sources. The NDA leadership felt that being a union minister Chouba Singh should have been restrained and adopted a more reasonable approach on the volatile Naga issue.

Before antagonising the BJP top brass, Chouba locked horns with the one and only George in NDA and plotted the downfall of Nipamacha Government in Manipur. He along with his MLAs lobbied hard to install BJP leader Dorendra Singh in place of Nipamacha as chief minister. The entry of Radha Binod Koijam in to his fold helped the Defence Minister to thwart Chouba move and make Koijam the chief minister. The Samata Party-led coalition did not last long; Chouba Singh was held the fall guy. These two factors contributed largely for his unceremonious exit from the Vajpayee cabinet some months ago. After being dropped as a union minister, he paid back the NDA in the same coin by forming Secular Progressive Front (SPF) led by the Congress. At that time NDA leaders requested him not to leave the front, but Chouba Singh paid no heed.

When it seemed as though Chouba Singh had become Manipur Raja without the crown, he suffered a setback, courtesy poaching of his loyalist MLAs by the Congress. Soon, all the Chouba’s men deserted the MSCP founder. As a loner with no moorings, he tried to please the Congress to move under its shade. That why Chouba voted against POTA in Parliament. Old warhorse Rishang Keishing also lobbied his entry to the Congress. But the Chief Minister Ibobi Singh put his foot down fearing a threat to his very survival from Rishang-Chouba combine. No doubt the two make a formidable combination. Left with no choice, Chouba Singh marched in to the Saffron-fold hoping for a ministerial berth in return for his prodigal status. Obviously, the BJP has different priorities.

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