Two Congress MLAs from Manipur have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, PTI reported on Monday. Works and Information Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh said Kshetrimayum Biren Singh and Paonam Brojen had joined the saffron party on Saturday.
Manipur’s BJP-led coalition headed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh now has 31 BJP MLAs, four legislators each of the Naga People’s Front and the Nationalist People’s Party and one Independent. This takes its strength to 40 in the 60-member Assembly.
The Congress has now been reduced to 20 MLAs. Eight of the 28 Congress MLAs elected in the Assembly elections in March 2017 have joined the BJP. The Congress had emerged the single largest party by winning 28 seats in the 60-seat Assembly in March, but the BJP had formed government in the state with the support of other legislators.
When asked about reports of seven parliamentary secretaries of the coalition government resigning, Thongam Biswajit Singh said, “They have submitted their resignation to the chief minister to take up new assignments as the chairmen of several committees of the state Assembly.”
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