A day after the three-month old Radha Binod Koijam Ministry was voted out ofpower on the floor of the 60-member Manipur Assembly, the state is gropingin the dark about the next government. Under the temporary solution that isbeing worked out, leaders of both the opposing combines have been summonedto New Delhi for consultation. No decision is therefore likely before theteams return from Delhi, after the scheduled meeting on May 28, sources inImphal said.
Meanwhile, R.K. Dorendra Singh, leader of the BJP legislature Party inManipur, was elected leader of the newly-formed Progressive Democratic Alliance(PDA) and his Party leader Samuel Jendai said the PDA may stake claim to formthe new government but only after getting clearance from BJP central leadership.PDA comprises of BJP with 26 MLAs, MSCP (C) with 10, NCP and Federal Party ofManipur with two each, and Janata Dal (Loken) with one MLA
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Dorendra Singh, who is under tremendous pressure from the MLAs to meetGovernor Ved Marwah and stake his claim for the chief ministership, isconstrained by a directive from party president Jana Krishnamurthy ordering himnot to precipitate matters. Apparently a fax from Krishnamurthy chastisedDorendra Singh for the development in the state Assembly on Monday thatwitnessed the fall of Koijam ministry.
Manipur governor Ved Marwah is expected to wait for a day or two to allowalternative government formation in the state following the fall of SamataParty-led ministry there before giving his fresh assessment on the politicalsituation to the centre.
Official sources said that Marwah had already sent his report on thecircumstances leading to the defeat of Radhabinod Koijam ministry in theconfidence vote in the assembly yesterday.
