Days after NPP renews support to Manipur govt, Guv reallocates portfolios to Deputy CM

Amid the tussle for Cabinet berths in Manipur, Governor Najma Heptulla on Monday reallocated the portfolios to NPP MLA and Deputy CM Y Joykumar Singh on the advice of CM N Biren Singh. While the Deputy CM shall be in charge of Finance, Science and Technology, and Economics and Statistics, Singh has retained portfolios such as Home, Transport, Tourism, Minority Affairs, Information Technology, etc. On June 25, all 4 NPP legislators submitted a letter to the Manipur Governor renewing their support to the BJP-led government in the state.

They also withdrew their resignation after hectic parlays with the BJP central leadership in Delhi. As the resignations were yet to be accepted, the NPP MLAs namely, Y Joykumar Singh, N Kayisii, L Jayanta Kumar Singh, and Letpao Haokip technically remained Ministers. However, Kayisii, Jayanta Kumar Singh, and Haokip's names did not feature in the current portfolio allocation list. 

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Read: Manipur CM In Delhi To Discuss Portfolio Allocations

Political developments in Manipur

On June 17, three BJP MLAs resigned and 6 other coalition MLAs including the Deputy CM withdrew support to the N Biren Singh-led government. BJP MLAs S Subhashchandra Singh, TT Haokip and Samuel Jendai, TMC MLA T Robindro Singh, 4 NPP MLAs, and Independent MLA Ashab Uddin extended their support to the Congress party. A day later, former CM Okram Ibobi Singh wrote to Governor Najma Heptulla staking claim to form the government. 

He urged her to summon a special session of the Assembly in a couple of days to vote on the motion of the no-confidence against the Council of Ministers which has already been moved before the Speaker. Alternatively, he suggested that the government could be outrightly dismissed as it is in a minority. However, BJP won a high-stakes battle for the Rajya Sabha seat in Manipur where its candidate Leisamba Sanajaoba secured 28 votes as against 24 votes received by Congress' nominee T Mangibabu. 

With the resignation of three BJP MLAs being accepted and the disqualification of 6 MLAs, the strength of the Manipur Assembly has been reduced to 51. With the NPP's support, the BJP-led alliance has now 30 MLAs (including the Speaker) in the 51-member Manipur Assembly. While the Naga People's Front has reportedly demanded one more Cabinet berth, some BJP legislators are allegedly miffed due to all the 4 NPP MLAs being given a place in the Ministry. 

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