Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday dropped six ministers from his Cabinet, The Indian Express reported. Five people were sworn in as ministers.
Singh dropped three ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party – Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister V Hangkhanlian, Minister for Social Welfare and Cooperation Nemcha Kipgen and Minister for Education, Labour and Employment, Thokchom Radheshyam Singh. Kipgen was the only woman minister in the state.
Health Minister L Jayantakumar and Tribal Affairs Minister N Kayisii, who belong to the National People’s Party, and Lok Janshakti Party leader and Public Distribution Minister Karam Shyam were also dropped from the Cabinet.
Among the new ministers who were administered oath by Governor Najma Heptulla were S Rajen, Satyabrata Singh and V Valte from the BJP and former Congress leaders Okram Henry and Oinam Lukhoi Singh. Henry is the nephew of former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
The Cabinet reshuffle came three days after Singh and Manipur BJP chief Saikhom Tikendra Singh travelled to Delhi to meet the saffron party’s President JP Nadda, according to PTI.
The BJP-led coalition government in Manipur had last month won the vote of confidence moved by Singh during a special one-day Assembly session. The Congress had submitted a motion of no confidence against the state government on July 28.
In June, the government had plunged into a crisis after nine members of the BJP-led coalition, including four ministers of the National People’s Party, had withdrawn support to join the Congress-led coalition – Secular Progressive Front. However, after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda, the rebel NPP legislators said they will continue to support the coalition government.
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