Assam minister and North-East Democratic Alliance chairperson Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party will continue to back the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Manipur. Last week, four MLAs of the National People’s Party had withdrawn support to the coalition government in Manipur.

The development came after a National People’s Party delegation led by Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Joy Kumar Singh met BJP President JP Nadda in Delhi. The leaders also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, according to News18.

Sangma said the meeting to resolve Manipur’s political turmoil was positive. He added that his party and the BJP would continue to work together for the people of Manipur.

Advertisement

On Tuesday, the four NPP legislators – Joy Kumar Singh, N Kayisii, L Jayanta Kumar Singh and Letpao Haokip – were flown to Delhi to resolve the political crisis.

The N Biren Singh-led government was reduced to a minority after nine MLAs – four of NPP, three of the BJP, one of the Trinamool Congress and one Independent – withdrew support and joined the Congress on June 17.

However, the BJP won the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the elections last week and claimed that the matter had been settled with the victory of its candidate. The Manipur Assembly has 60 members but only 52 could vote for the Rajya Sabha elections on June 19. The Speaker disqualified three Congress MLAs as well the state’s lone Trinamool Congress MLA ahead of the Rajya Sabha election – all of whom were expected to vote for the Congress Rajya Sabha candidate.

Advertisement

Last week, Sangma and Sarma visited Manipur’s capital Imphal to stop the Congress from forming a Secular Progressive Front government.

Also read: Manipur’s Rajya Sabha election shows how easily power can overrule the anti-defection law