Three Manipur parties unite for a regional hold on power

In a move that could change the political equations in Manipur ahead of the Assembly elections early next year, three regional parties...

In a move that could change the political equations in Manipur ahead of the Assembly elections early next year, three regional parties — the Manipur People’s Party (MPP), the Federal Party of Manipur (FPM) and the Democratic Revolutionary People‘s Party (DRPP) — have decided to unite into a single entity. The parties say their objective is to combat the trend of national party-controlled governments in the state.

Although the name, manifesto, flag and symbol are as yet undecided, MPP leader O Joy said a common regional platform was necessary to address issues close to the people of Manipur. At the helm of affairs are three veteran politicians — Okram Joy, FPM president and former deputy chief minister L Chandramani Singh and DRPP chief Udoi Thongam.

However, the actual impact of the party will be open to speculation as in the 60-seat Assembly, FPM has just 13 seats, the MPP two and the DRPP none. Moreover, the MPP is now in the middle of a power struggle, with the party split into two factions among the supporters of O Joy and L Borajao.

Story continues below this ad

Chandramani Singh is optimistic. He argues that the base of the national parties — especially the Congress — has been eroding constantly since Manipur was granted statehood in 1971. ‘‘Their numbers in the Assembly has been going down, standing at just 11 in 2000. It’s time to do away with the high command culture now,’’ he said.

Though the Congress, with 20 seats, was invited to form the last government in 2002, veteran MPP legislator Nimaichand Luwang believes said the party got its chance only because the regional parties were disunited.

Coming out strongly against national parties, O Joy said only regional parties had the interest to address glaring problems like the ongoing insurgency and territorial integrity. ‘‘There’s a lot of anti-national feeling here. New Delhi seems too far away. We just want to be allowed to live like other Indians across the country. We can no longer sacrifice the state for the nation. We must get our due share. Hence the need for a united regional front.’’

kartykven.katraman@expressindia.com

As GST 2.0 kicks in: what changes for consumers and industry

Explained2 hr ago

The government has introduced significant changes to the GST structure, aiming to lower tax rates for various goods and services. This includes exemptions for Indian bread and health insurance, reduced taxes for beauty and well-being services, and addressing the inverted duty structure. The changes, effective immediately, are expected to boost household spending and encourage investments.

View all shorts

Live Blog