Fourth Manipur BJP legislator quits govt post in 12 days

IMPHAL: As the resentment among a section of BJP MLAs against Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh grows, another ruling party legislator, Raghumani Singh, on Monday resigned as the Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) Chairman.

Bureaucrat-turned-politician Singh is the fourth BJP MLA to quit their government posts in less than two week, claiming that they were not given due responsibility, funds or authority to function in their posts.

Singh, who was elected as an MLA from the Uripok Assembly constituency in last year's polls, said in his resignation letter to the Chief Minister: "For personal reasons and also in the public interest, it is felt that my continuance as Chairman of the MANIREDA is not called for at this juncture. Therefore, I hereby tender my resignation from the said post of Chairman and the same may kindly be accepted."

Earlier, BJP MLAs Thokchom Radheysham and Karam Shyam had quit as Chief Minister's advisor and Chairman of the Manipur State Tourism Development Corporation on April 17 and April 13, respectively.

Both had served as ministers in the first Biren Singh-led government (2017-2022).

In a video clip, Shyam had said: "A leader should be committed and sincere instead of threatening the followers. If such threats occurred frequently, then eruption of a revolt among the followers is a must... Manipur is becoming a corruption-free state, but in corruption, only the giver and the taker will know."

On April 20, Paonam Brojen Singh had resigned from his post of Chairman of the Manipur Development Society.

Informed sources said that few more discontented BJP MLAs are likely to quit their respective government posts and are now lobbying with the central party leadership seeking its intervention in the affairs of Manipur.

The aggrieved legislators include a few Kuki MLAs, who are reportedly unhappy with an eviction drive targeting the community.

Chief Minister Biren Singh had claimed on Sunday that there are no differences of opinion and resentment among the legislators.

Winning 32 seats in the 60-member Assembly, the BJP government retained power for a second consecutive term in last year's polls.

Various other parties are also supporting the BJP government.