Guwahati: Voices of dissent are growing within Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s BJP-led government in Manipur. Three party legislators have announced their resignation from administrative positions within a week, holding Singh responsible for their decisions. ThePrint has copies of all the resignations.
Several party colleagues have revolted against Singh’s leadership style and for allegedly being kept away from policymaking.
Party sources told ThePrint that at least four legislators have been camping in New Delhi for the past few days to meet with the central leadership, and brief them about their allegations and grievances.
Singh is facing dissidence from at least 18-19 members, including cabinet ministers, they said, adding that some of the rebel MLAs, including a few Kuki legislators, have been visiting the national capital at different intervals for the “past six months”, seeking a change in leadership.
The stream of resignations began last week with Heirok MLA and retired IPS officer Thokchom Radheshyam Singh stepping down from the post of adviser to the chief minister on 13 April. His resignation letter revealed that “he has not been given any responsibility, so far”.
This was followed by party colleague Karam Shyam from Langthabal assembly constituency resigning from his additional charge as chairman of the Tourism Corporation of Manipur Limited this Monday, mentioning a similar reason in his resignation letter — “not been assigned any responsibility as the chairman”.
The state unit of the BJP has called for a meeting of party legislators and ministers in Imphal Friday. The notice for the meeting was issued by party general secretary L. Deben Singh Tuesday.
The same day, in a Facebook post, BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh, the chief minister’s son-in-law, warned of “disciplinary action against member of… political party/MLA” for “acting or carrying on propaganda against any programme or decision of the government/party”, or taking a party or government dispute to “any other agency including the print and electronic media”.
Another reason inviting disciplinary action, he said, was “acting in a way to lower the prestige of the government or the party”.
On Thursday, party MLA from Wangjing Tentha, Paonam Brojen, resigned from his post as chairman of Manipur Development Society on “personal grounds”, later making his grievances public through a video message.
Speaking to ThePrint on the condition of anonymity, a BJP legislator in Imphal said, “The demand for change in leadership is due to a few things, which, if allowed unchecked, will not only destroy the party image, but also destroy the state socially and economically.”
“The party has been left without any say and party workers are left unattended, weakening the party spirit. He (the CM) is running a family show, over which no MLA and ministers are happy,” the MLA added.
This Monday (17 April), BJP MLA from Uripok, Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh, announced his presence in New Delhi through a Facebook post. He posted pictures of himself and three of his party colleagues paying a courtesy visit to the Union Minister of State, Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region, B.L. Verma in New Delhi. Singh said they met to discuss “border and developmental issues in Manipur”.
The MLAs accompanying him were Radheshyam Singh, Karam Shyam and Paonam Brojen. The team of four is still camping in Delhi.
Meanwhile, Raghumani Singh filed a police complaint Wednesday against the BJP state Minority Morcha chief Asker Ali Mkm for allegedly “threatening” him through a Facebook comment.
It is not known yet if the chief minister has officially accepted the resignations. ThePrint has sought a response from the office of the chief minister, and a reply is awaited.
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Grievances of dissenters
While both Radheshyam Singh and Karam Shyam said they resigned because of “not being given any responsibility”, Paonam Brojen elaborated on his reasons through a video message Thursday, where he alleged that the CM had not been able to fulfil his assurances.
A four-time MLA and former Congress leader, Brojen resigned from the assembly to join the BJP ahead of the 2020 Manipur bypolls.
Speaking in Manipuri, Brojen said the government is yet to clear pending files for a road construction project in his constituency. He added that the payment to contractors is due since 2021.
“I am not able to visit my constituency now because the local contractors come to my residence and ask for payment. I have become a liar in my own constituency, and it makes me feel like I have failed as an elected representative,” he said, adding that the CM is aware of his grievances and had assured him of necessary action but nothing came of that.
Radheshyam mentioned in his resignation letter he would like “to contribute and focus on Lok Sabha elections”.
Speaking to ThePrint, he said he was “looking for work, and not status”.
Radheshyam was the education, labour & employment minister in the first cabinet of Biren Singh from 2017 to 2022. He was among six ministers who were dropped in a reshuffle in 2020.
Speaking to ThePrint, he appeared to hint that government officials and their families often benefit, either directly or indirectly, from their proximity to the chief minister.
“In democracy, we have to prioritise the interest of the people. The chosen leader has to become a team member. We are all public servants, part of the team. But at times, we think everything belongs to ‘me and my family’,” he said on the day of his resignation, without naming anyone.
On Monday afternoon, Karam Shyam took to Facebook to publicly announce his resignation and said he had not got the desired respect as the chairman of the Tourism Corporation of Manipur Limited.
“The youth in Manipur are interested in cycling, but when I proposed to promote it, the government did not sanction a single penny for the project. During the Sangai Festival in Manipur last year, when Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy was here for the inauguration, I didn’t even have a seat, and took my place in the last row. I was not even given an opportunity to deliver a speech,” said Shyam.
The next day too, Karam Shyam added, he was not asked to make a speech in presence of the governor and the chief minister.
Not the first time
The chief minister faced dissidence within the government in 2019 as well, with some seeking a change in leadership, but the party’s national brass reportedly backed him to continue in the chair.
The differences between the CM and minister Thongam Biswajit Singh were out in the open with the latter expressing displeasure over the functioning of the government and seeking a change in leadership.
N. Biren Singh had then made desperate attempts to negotiate a settlement with the dissenters while they were camping in New Delhi. The names of former assembly speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh and legislator Radheshyam Singh also featured in the list of probable chief ministers in the event of leadership change four years ago.
In 2022, when the BJP won 32 of the 60 seats in the assembly, a section of party leaders had suggested Biswajit Singh for the CM’s role in the Manipur BJP 2.0 government. Former state Congress chief Govindas Konthoujam, who joined the BJP in 2021, was also a contender for the post until N. Biren Singh was sworn into power for the second consecutive term.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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