Left with virtually no other options, the Centre is contemplating to impose President’s Rule in Manipur. Indication to this effect came from none other than Union Home Minister L. K. Advani.

Manipur may come under President’s rule in the wake of raging ongoing political crisis in the State, said Mr. Advani. He said he had already talked to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking her party’s cooperation in this regard. Home Secretary Kamal Pandey, who was asked to brief Sonia Gandhi, was later directed to discuss the issue with senior West Bengal leader Pranab Mukherjee. Mr. Advani said he would discuss the matter with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee before the government takes a decisions. Government needs Congress support in Parliament especially in Rajya Sabha where it does not have a majority to get the approval for any presidential proclamation to bring the State under Central rule.

The North-Eastern State of Manipur has been rocked by a serious political crisis in the wake of divisions within the United Legislature Front coalition, headed by Chief Minister W Nipamacha Singh, which is seeking to unseat Speaker Dhananjay Singh who is supported by the Opposition. Last month, the Speaker abruptly adjourned the Assembly  sine die after the ruling side tabled a motion of no-confidence against him.

Meanwhile, the Centre has asked the Manipur government to investigate alleged links of at least five State ministers with extremist groups, according to official sources. The Union Home Ministry has forwarded a report to the State authorities containing "evidence" of the nexus between the ministers and militant groups, the sources said. The groups with which the ministers are alleged to be having links include NSCN (Khaplang), PLA, UNLF, UNF, KYKL(O) and ZRA, the sources said. They said a minister had attended the funeral of a dreaded militant instead of announcing a reward for Assam Rifles personnel who had killed him.

A few ministers, the sources alleged, had also provided their official cars and bungalows to militants to hide. Another State minister had donated Rs. 5 lakh to a militant group, they claimed. The sources said several government contracts too had been allotted to the nominees or those having links with extremist groups. Militant outfits have been indulging in offloading rice, sugar, wheat and other commodities from trucks carrying public distribution system goods and distributing them among locals at a very low price, they said, adding, extortion by these groups were rampant.

In a last ditch effort to save his government, Manipur Chief Minister Nipamacha Singh has now adopted a two-pronged strategy. Firstly, he has urged State Governor Ved Marwah to summon State Assembly. The United Legislature Front ministry in Manipur has recommended to the Governor to summon the State Assembly to discuss the no-confidence motion moved by Opposition parties. This was decided by the Cabinet at an emergency meeting..

Moreover, Nipamacha Singh and Forest Minister Gangmumai Kamei in a joint letter to Speaker S. Dhananjoy Singh on December 15 had urged him to fix the date for discussion of the no-confidence motion against the ULF government as per constitutional provisions. Since the Speaker had admitted the no-confidence motion against the Front ministry on December 1, the first day of the winter session, he should have convened the House before December 10, Nipamacha Singh and Kamei, said in their letter.

Secondly, Nipamacha Singh has deputed few of his senior ministers, led by Deputy Chief Minister Candramani Singh, to request the Centre not to impose President’s Rule in the State. The minister, for the last couple of days are camping in Delhi.

The Nipamacha loyalist are hopeful that the Centre would not take such a step like imposition of President’s Rule as the ULF has a strength of 35 in a house of 60. They feel that in such a scenario, imposition of President’s Rule will be unconstitutional. They are of the opinion that instead of imposing Presidt’s Rule, the Centre should support the State Government to control the deteriorating law and order situation in the State and also to tide over the ongoing financial crisis. However, the Centre seems to make-up its mind to impose President’s Rule in the State. It is waiting for a formal nod from the Congress, so that it does not face another Bihar-like embarrassment in the Rajya Sabha.